Delta Announces Big Change Affecting Trips to 13 Hot Spots, Including Aruba and Puerto Rico

Delta Airlines announced that it is issuing a "travel waiver" for passengers who are "traveling to or from 13 impacted airports between January 3 to 6."  That action came after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration shut down airspace over the Caribbean, leading Delta and other top airlines to cancel flights to popular beach destinations from Aruba to Puerto Rico.

"Customers with travel bookings during this period will receive a notification from Delta with instructions on how to make changes to existing bookings," Delta wrote. The affected airports included the following on January 3:

• Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Grenada, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Saint Croix, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, and Saint Lucia.

• Customers "should continue to monitor the status of their flight via the Fly Delta app and Delta.com, where they can also make adjustments to their itineraries," Delta wrote.
• Delta teams "continue to monitor the situation closely as the safety and security of our customers and people comes before all else," according to the airline."
• Delta announced in a statement that the airline "will resume flights to and from 13 previously impacted airports in the Caribbean as the FAA has indicated they will allow their airspace closure directive to expire early Sunday morning, Jan. 4. Delta expects to operate its normal Caribbean schedule on Jan. 4 with possible schedule adjustments as airline resources are repositioned."

According to The Associated Press, Delta is not alone. Major airlines "canceled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region" on January 3 and "warned passengers that the disruptions could continue for days" due to the FAA's restrictions in the wake of the U.S. action in Venezuela.

Flights "were canceled to and from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba, and more than a dozen other destinations in the Lesser Antilles island group that lies north of Venezuela," according to the AP.

Delta Airlines Began Cancelling Flights After the Federal Aviation Administration Closed Airspace in the Caribbean

Delta announced that the airline began cancelling flights on early Saturday morning, January 3, after the U.S. action in Venezuela.

The airline wrote that it did so in "compliance with FAA airspace closures in the Caribbean."

"As cancellations are processed, customers will receive notifications via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their reservation," Delta wrote.

FlightAware published a list showing all of the cancelled Delta flights. Some of the cancelled flights originated in or were going to Aruba or Puerto Rico. Altogether, though, only 4% of Delta's total flights were cancelled or 146, although 23% were delayed on January 3, according to FlightAware.

More Than 7,000 Flights Were Cancelled Throughout the U.S. on January 3

Overall, there were more than 7,000 flight cancellations into or out of the U.S. on January 3, although not all of them were to Caribbean destinations. You can see the FAA's airport closure page here.

"When rebooked travel occurs on or before January 09, 2026, in the same cabin of service as originally booked, the fare difference will be waived," Delta explained.

"If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance. Applicable fare difference may apply for new travel dates. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity."

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said at a news conference, according to AP, that “the consequences of the conflict have been exceedingly disruptive to both of our ports of entry,” referring to airports and cruise ports.

Related: