Despite lifting the Caribbean airspace restrictions at midnight, private jet charter brokers expect delays over the next several days.
The closure of a large section of Caribbean airspace to U.S.-registered aircraft has been lifted.
The notice from the Federal Aviation Administration came after hundreds of airline and private jet flights were cancelled on Saturday.
Private jet charter brokers say the first weekend of the new year is typically the busiest for flights from the Caribbean back to the U.S. and Europe.
The FAA notice to airmen restricting Caribbean airspace yesterday came as a result of the U.S. government’s operation removing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power.
The National Business Aviation Association notified members that the ban for U.S.-registered airplanes had been lifted via an email on Jan. 4, 2026, shortly after midnight on Saturday.
It read:
‘The Airspace Closures in the San Juan FIR (TJZS), Curacao FIR (TNCF), PIARCO FIR (TTZP) and Maiquetia FIR (SVZM) associated with the military operations in Venezuela have been lifted as of January 4, 0501z. They have been replaced by ADVISORY NOTAMs outlining “potentially hazardous situations in the FIR, Operators are advised to exercise caution when operating within the FIR airspace due to military activities”. The current NOTAMs are effective until February 02, 0500z. Flight operators should monitor NOTAMs for any changes to airspace restrictions.’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tweeted on X, “UPDATE: The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00 am 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.”
Brokers told Private Jet Card Comparisons they expect delays to ripple for several days.
They noted that the Christmas and New Year holidays had already led to delays.
Those delays were relayed to local air traffic control, or due to a lack of ramp space.
While U.S. private jet (and airline) flights were grounded, foreign operators were not subject to the edict from American authorities.
FlightAware showed several foreign-registered private jets, including VistaJet and Qatar Executive, operating flights from the impacted region yesterday (see below).
However, major players such as NetJets (below from FlightAware on Saturday evening, Jan. 3, 2026) and Flexjet, which operate mainly a U.S.-registered fleet, were restricted.
A Flexjet spokesperson said on Saturday evening, before the ban was lifted, “We have been in active communication with our flight crews and our customers.”
She added, “In addition, we are reconfiguring flights, so when the no-fly zone is lifted, we can get our customers on their way as soon as possible.”
Brokers said they spent most of Saturday peppered with calls enquiring about private flights.
Without access to the U.S. charter fleet, availability was scarce.
Prices charged by some operators were running as much as 100% above normal, brokers said.
Aviation Portfolio’s Craig Ross said for unethical operators, “This is the Super Bowl of gouging.”
(Editor’s Note: This breaking news story was updated with additional information.)
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