CNBC reports that US airlines “hundreds of flights to airports canceled in Puerto Rico and Aruba, according to flight data from FlightAware and airline sites.”JetBlue, Southwest and American Airlines were among the many airlines showing flight cancellations, including “nearly 300 flights to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, more than 40% of the daily schedule, according to FlightAware.”
Airlines canceled flights in the Caribbean on Saturday following US attacks on Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered commercial planes to avoid airspace in parts of the region. It was not immediately clear how long the disruptions would last, although such broad restrictions are often temporary. Airlines said they would waive change fees and fare differences for customers affected by the airspace closures who could fly later in the month.
CNN quotes a US official saying: more than 150 American aircraft (including helicopters) launched from twenty different bases “on land and sea” during Friday’s attack.
The US has said the lights were off during the attack in Caracas, likely due to a targeted attack on its power grid. ‘Videos filmed by Caracas residents showed parts of the city in darkness’ reports the Miami Herald.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement through his spokesman saying he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected” (according to a Reuters report). quoted by the Guardian). The Guardian adds that “a number of countries have called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council today in New York as a result of the US’s unilateral action.”
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