Delta Air Lines, headquartered right here in Atlanta, has started canceling flights to several popular Caribbean destinations as the airline complies with urgent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airspace restrictions.
The cancellations come amid a rapidly developing international situation involving U.S. military strikes in Venezuela, which reportedly resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and subsequent FAA actions to close portions of Caribbean airspace for safety reasons.
Delta Cancels Flights That Use Caribbean Airspace
As of midday Saturday, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing affected passengers flexibility with no change or cancellation fees for flights to or from 13 impacted Caribbean airports between January 3 and January 6, 2026.
The affected airports include:
- Antigua (ANU)
- Aruba (AUA)
- Barbados (BGI)
- Bonaire (BON)
- Curaçao (CUR)
- Grenada (GND)
- San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
- St. Kitts (SKB)
- St. Thomas (STT)
- St. Croix (STX)
- St. Vincent (SVD)
- St. Maarten (SXM)
- St. Lucia (UVF)
Delta began implementing cancellations early Saturday morning in response to the FAA’s directives. The airline emphasized that it is actively monitoring the evolving regional situation.
In an official statement, Delta said:
“Delta’s teams are closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing that the safety and security of customers and employees remains the airline’s top priority.”
What this means for travelers:
Customers with bookings during the affected period should receive direct notifications via the Fly Delta app and/or the contact information on file with their reservation.
These notifications will include instructions for rebooking or making changes to itineraries.
Does Delta Fly To Venezuela?
Delta has not operated direct flights to any destinations in Venezuela (such as Caracas/Simón Bolívar International Airport) for several years.
Delta suspended its service to Caracas back in 2017 due to safety, security, and operational concerns, and the airline has not resumed those routes since.
Current Delta international offerings focus on other South American countries like Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador—but Venezuela is not included in their active network.
In fact, the ongoing situation today—with FAA airspace restrictions over Venezuela and surrounding areas following U.S. military activity—has led to widespread flight disruptions and cancellations in the nearby Caribbean, but these affect overflight routes and regional connections rather than direct service to Venezuela itself (which Delta doesn’t offer anyway).
Key points for travelers:
- No Delta flights go directly to or from Venezuela at this time.
- U.S. carriers, including Delta, are prohibited from operating in Venezuelan airspace due to current FAA NOTAMs and long-standing safety advisories.
- If you’re seeing references to Delta and Venezuela in news right now, it’s related to indirect impacts like rerouting South American flights or Caribbean cancellations, not direct service.
For the most up-to-date route information, we always recommend checking directly on Delta.com or the Fly Delta app. Safe travels, Atlanta! If you have a specific itinerary or booking in mind, feel free to share more details.
Final Word
Delta recommends that all travelers check their flight status regularly through the Fly Delta app or on Delta.com, where adjustments can be made quickly.
This disruption highlights how quickly global events can impact air travel, especially for routes near areas of heightened military or political activity.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest and Delta’s main hub, may see some ripple effects from these changes.
We’ll continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available from Delta and federal authorities.
Safe travels, Atlanta! If you’re affected by these cancellations, reach out to Delta directly for the latest on your itinerary.