US lifts flight restrictions after Venezuela-related airspace disruptions

Restrictions that temporarily barred United States airlines from operating in parts of the Caribbean and South American airspace were lifted early Sunday, allowing flights to resume following a day of widespread disruptions.

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The limits followed multiple Notices to Airmen issued Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration, which cited safety risks linked to military activity in Venezuela across the Curaçao, Maiquetia, Piarco, and San Juan flight information regions.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said late Saturday that the restrictions expired at midnight Eastern Time and that airlines were working to clear backlogs created by the suspensions.

He also advised travellers to check directly with airlines as schedules continued to be updated.

United Airlines said it was preparing to resume Caribbean flights, beginning with service to San Juan, Puerto Rico, after hundreds of cancellations at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport on Saturday.

The airline said it expects to operate most of its scheduled flights on Sunday and plans to add extra services to assist passengers affected by the disruptions.

JetBlue also began restoring service and said it may add additional flights as operations normalize.

The carrier said approximately 215 flights were cancelled during the disruption and urged customers to monitor their flight status online or through its mobile app.

In Europe, a conflict-zone advisory for Venezuelan airspace issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency remained in effect. However, Dutch carrier KLM said it would operate its scheduled flights on Sunday after cancelling services to several Caribbean destinations the previous day.