U.S. attack on Venezuela leaves Philly travelers stranded due to closed airspace
The U.S. attack on Venezuela caused the Federal Aviation Administration to put out an emergency order shutting down parts of the Caribbean airspace on Saturday, leaving some Philly area residents struggling to get home after their flights were canceled.
Hundreds of flights were canceled across the country on Saturday, including at PHL. However, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said late on Saturday that the Caribbean airspace would reopen at midnight on Sunday.
UPDATE: The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00am ET and flights can resume.
Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions. https://t.co/5Cv46Xnjy4— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) January 4, 2026
At PHL on Saturday, there were a total of 29 flight cancelations, and 27 of them were to or from a destination under the no fly zone, including San Juan, Aruba, Cancun, Barbados, St. Thomas, St. Lucia and St. Maarten.
Emily Cheramie-Walz, from Elkins Park, said her family’s flight from St. Maarten was canceled on Saturday and they soonest flight they can find to book is not until Friday.
“There is not a single seat available,” she said. “We tried dividing up, two, three. There is not a single seat available.”
Nancy Colbert, from Downingtown, told NBC10’s Kelsey Kushner that she and her husband spent the last week vacationing in Aruba, but their flight back to Philly was canceled.
“We were supposed to fly out at 3:40,” she said later Saturday evening. “Our biggest thing is we don’t know when we’re going to get home, and that’s the problem.”
Jill Kuritz, the owner of Never Grow Up Vacations in the Lehigh Valley, said that she has been working around the clock to find flights for clients who had their flights canceled on Saturday.
“It’s that trickle down effect of those other airplanes already having people on them coming and going, and they can’t throw those passengers off just because you have to get home,” Kuritz said.
“The island has definitely been on edge,” he said. “There’s been increased police presence and patrols off shore, and you can definitely sense a bit of tension and anxiety in the air just walking around.”
Airlines are warning passengers that flight disruptions could continue for days due to cancelations on Saturday and are advising people scheduled to take a trip to an impacted regions to regularly check for updates.
“Definitely pack your patience because even when you do get to the airport, you are going to see major and significant delays,” Kuritz said. “Because just imagine if they are bringing other flights in to fill that void, imagine that impact.”
However, some airlines are also trying to make up for the lost flights.
American Airlines said they are deploying more planes totaling an additional 5,000 seats to help bring passengers home.
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