The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rescinded its emergency closure of parts of Caribbean airspace at midnight (05:00 GMT) on 4 January 2026, less than 24 hours after issuing the order in response to American strikes on Venezuelan targets. Reuters notes that airlines immediately began restoring services, with long-haul carriers—including Lufthansa Group subsidiary SWISS—re-routing eastbound flights back to their normal corridors.
During the shutdown, SWISS cargo and passenger services to São Paulo and Cancún were forced to take lengthy detours via the Azores, adding up to 90 minutes of flight time and triggering crew-duty exceedances that led to two cancellations out of Zurich. Travel-management companies report that around 1,200 Swiss business travellers experienced delays or missed onward connections in Miami and Panama City.
With the airspace now open, airlines are re-optimising schedules, but industry analysts warn of residual disruption: crew rosters and aircraft rotations remain out of sync, and some carriers have capped seat inventory for the next 48 hours to absorb contagion effects. Corporate travel managers should therefore verify flight status and allow buffer time for critical trips to Latin America and the Caribbean.
![Caribbean airspace reopens after U.S.–Venezuela crisis, easing route headaches for Swiss carriers]()
For companies aiming to minimise further headaches, VisaHQ offers a fast, centralised way for Switzerland-based travellers to secure the necessary visas and travel documents for Latin American and Caribbean destinations, complete with live status tracking and expert support—visit https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/ to learn more.
Insurance and tax implications also arise. Detoured flights that technically touched U.S. airspace may create taxable-presence days for crew under bilateral agreements, and companies must decide whether to absorb the extra carbon-offset costs incurred by longer routings. Meanwhile, Swiss freight forwarders estimate that perishable-goods shipments lost up to 12 hours of shelf life; logistic teams are reviewing cold-chain contingency plans.
The episode underscores the geopolitical volatility facing global-mobility programmes in 2026. Aviation-security experts advise multinationals to maintain real-time monitoring of NOTAMs and to include sudden air-space closures in their travel-risk playbooks—particularly for routes over politically sensitive regions such as the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Sahel.
During the shutdown, SWISS cargo and passenger services to São Paulo and Cancún were forced to take lengthy detours via the Azores, adding up to 90 minutes of flight time and triggering crew-duty exceedances that led to two cancellations out of Zurich. Travel-management companies report that around 1,200 Swiss business travellers experienced delays or missed onward connections in Miami and Panama City.
With the airspace now open, airlines are re-optimising schedules, but industry analysts warn of residual disruption: crew rosters and aircraft rotations remain out of sync, and some carriers have capped seat inventory for the next 48 hours to absorb contagion effects. Corporate travel managers should therefore verify flight status and allow buffer time for critical trips to Latin America and the Caribbean.
For companies aiming to minimise further headaches, VisaHQ offers a fast, centralised way for Switzerland-based travellers to secure the necessary visas and travel documents for Latin American and Caribbean destinations, complete with live status tracking and expert support—visit https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/ to learn more.
Insurance and tax implications also arise. Detoured flights that technically touched U.S. airspace may create taxable-presence days for crew under bilateral agreements, and companies must decide whether to absorb the extra carbon-offset costs incurred by longer routings. Meanwhile, Swiss freight forwarders estimate that perishable-goods shipments lost up to 12 hours of shelf life; logistic teams are reviewing cold-chain contingency plans.
The episode underscores the geopolitical volatility facing global-mobility programmes in 2026. Aviation-security experts advise multinationals to maintain real-time monitoring of NOTAMs and to include sudden air-space closures in their travel-risk playbooks—particularly for routes over politically sensitive regions such as the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Sahel.
