Hundreds of flights disrupted amid fallout from US military operation in Venezuela

Airlines cancelled flights throughout the Caribbean on Saturday following U.S. strikes on Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered commercial aircraft to avoid airspace in parts of the region.

President Donald Trump said Saturday the U.S. strikes resulted in the capture and removal of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.

U.S. airlines cancelled dozens of flights to airports in Puerto Rico and Aruba, according to flight tallies from FlightAware and carriers’ sites.

“American Airlines is aware of the airspace closures in the Eastern Caribbean that were issued in the middle of the night and is closely monitoring the situation with the FAA,” the carrier said in a statement. “We are making schedule adjustments as necessary with the safety and security of our customers and team members top of mind.”

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways also showed cancellations in the Caribbean.

JetBlue, which has a large operation in the Caribbean, said it cancelled about 215 flights “due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity.” The airline noted that flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected by government restrictions.

It wasn’t immediately clear how long the disruptions would last, though such broad restrictions are often temporary.

Major U.S. airlines haven’t served Venezuela directly for years. American was the last of the major U.S. carriers to stop flying to the country in 2019 amid unrest there.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said it was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes and the reported detention of President Maduro, expressing concern that the escalation could be a violation of international law.

“These developments constitute a dangerous precedent,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General. He added that the UN was concerned about the wider implications for Latin America and the Caribbean, and called on “all actors in Venezuela” to respect human rights and the rule of law.

China also strongly condemned the US strike in Venezuela and the action taken against its president. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the Beijing government was “deeply shocked” and firmly opposed to the operation.

“Such hegemonic acts of the U.S. seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region,” it said.

The ministry called on the US to comply with international law and the principles of the UN Charter, urging it to stop violating the sovereignty and security of other nations.

US President Donald Trump has brushed off criticism from Democratic lawmakers who argued that he failed to seek prior approval from Congress and that the strike was illegal.

He described his critics as “weak, stupid people” and blamed his political opponents for inflation in the United States. He said the operation in Venezuela was “really genius”. (CNBC/AP)