VI flights disrupted as US nabs Venezuela prez

Following the United States’ dramatic military action in Venezuela on Saturday, the Caribbean saw major travel disruptions when many flights to and from the US were cancelled during the height of tourism season.

In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday morning that US forces had captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and transported them to the US to face drug charges.

The same day, the US Federal Aviation Administration closed the Eastern Caribbean’s airspace to US commercial flights, causing mass cancellations that stranded travellers across the region, including in the Virgin Islands.

All VI flights to and from the US mainland, Puerto Rico and the USVI were cancelled, according to a Saturday announcement from the BVI Airports Authority.

But the following day, the FAA lifted the airspace restrictions and flights resumed.

“It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, because it was actually one of the busiest travel days — especially outbound from the BVI,” Sharon Flax-Brutus, a managing partner at Virgin Gorda Villa Rentals, told the Beacon on Monday. “But for the most part, I think we weathered it well.”

Though the disruption did not cause a big drop in bookings for the properties she manages, she added that the tensions between Venezuela and the US are still concerning for the VI’s tourism industry.

“The Caribbean region [is] very reliant on the US-registered carriers,” said Ms. Flax-Brutus, who is also the Hotel and Tourism Association interim director. “So that in itself is a major concern. … Our heavy reliance on the US carriers and the US as a source market can prove to be troubling if there’s escalation.”

She noted that the threat can affect multiple subsectors in the industry, including cruise ships, resorts and yacht charterers.

‘Be nimble’

Ms. Flax-Brutus also said the government and the tourism sector will have to keep an eye on the situation in the coming weeks and work together to respond as necessary.

“We need to be just prepared to be nimble and responsive quickly in the event that circumstances should change,” she said.

If the situation escalates, she added, the government should “continue dialogue with the industry on the ground.”

Monitoring

BVI Tourist Board Director Clive McCoy told the Beacon on Monday that the BVITB “continues to closely monitor developments across our markets and receives regular intelligence updates on situations that may affect travel to and from the region, including the United States.”

He also spoke about the flight disruptions on Saturday.

“Over the weekend, in response to the announcement on flight restrictions for US carriers, our team acted swiftly in collaboration with the BVIAA to notify industry partners and travellers of the situation and advise on how travel to and from the territory would be affected, including the need for passengers to contact their respective air carriers.”

To help stranded travellers, American Airlines flew a total of 43 extra flights to and from the VI and other islands in the region. In the VI, this boost included an additional flight connecting the territory to Miami on Sunday and another connecting the VI to San Juan on Monday.

Charges

Mr. Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons crimes.

He and his wife were among five defendants included in the indictment filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

On Monday, Mr. Maduro and Ms. Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.