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Flight cancellations following U.S. strike on Venezuela leaves capital area resident stranded
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BATON ROUGE - After the Federal Aviation Administration restricted parts of Caribbean airspace on Saturday and hundreds of flights were cancelled following the U.S. strike on Venezuela, some Americans are still waiting to return home.
Baton Rouge resident Tramelle Howard told WBRZ he was one of many Americans enjoying the New Year's holiday in Brazil when his Saturday flight home was cancelled.
"We were supposed to fly out yesterday at 9:30. When we got to the gate, they kept saying it was a 30-minute delay, a 30-minute delay. I've flown enough to know once you get to that third 30-minute delay, that a cancellation was soon to come," Howard said.
He said his Delta flight out of Rio de Janeiro to Atlanta was scheduled for Saturday night.
"There are people at the hotel who are on three days of not being able to get home in many different parts of the world, so that's where we are," he said.
On Sunday, Howard was still in Brazil, hoping for a flight out of the country.
Other airlines, such as American and United Airlines, also cancelled flights on Saturday. In a post on X, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said flights were expected to return to normal on Sunday, leaving airlines scrambling to add flights around the region.
"I wish airlines would be a little more transparent about the situation because preparing to be in Brazil for three, four days, that's something people need to prepare for," Howard said.
Howard added he is grateful for his family and friends' support and is confident for his return home, but said not all Americans are so fortunate.
"This current administration, I think, there are a lot of decisions made without understanding the full picture, intended and unintended consequences," Howard said. "People who you say you're working on behalf of are left to suffer."
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