The United States lifted the airspace restrictions over the Caribbean early Sunday that had been imposed following Washington’s military attack on several locations in Venezuelan territory, including the capital, Caracas. The announcement was made by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who confirmed that the measures were lifted as of 6:00 a.m. Spanish time (05:00 GMT).

“Flights may resume. Airlines have been informed and will soon update their schedules,” Duffy said in a post on social media platform X, signaling a gradual return to normal air operations in a region heavily disrupted by the temporary shutdown.

The restrictions had been implemented on Saturday by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which limited airspace over the Caribbean and Venezuela “in support of the Department of War,” according to the Transportation Secretary, and to “ensure public safety in air travel.”

The decision followed the U.S. attack on Venezuela, an operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were later transferred by sea and air to New York, where they are expected to face judicial proceedings on drug trafficking charges, among others, according to U.S. officials.

The temporary airspace closure forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights and affected major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. JetBlue reported that it was compelled to cancel at least 215 flights, largely due to the prioritization of military aircraft in the restricted airspace.

The most severely affected destination was Puerto Rico, where at least 357 flights were disrupted at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the island’s main aviation hub. In Aruba, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 89 flights were canceled, many of them operated by Dutch carrier KLM.

With the restrictions now lifted, authorities expect a gradual normalization of air traffic across the Caribbean, even as international attention remains focused on the political, diplomatic, and economic repercussions of the U.S. operation in Venezuela.