Estero couple faces delayed return following US attack on Venezuela

ESTERO, Fla. —

An Estero couple's honeymoon in Puerto Rico has been unexpectedly extended after their flight home was canceled due to U.S. military operations in the region.

William Genter, from Fort Myers, said he received an early morning call from his son, Billy, who was supposed to return to Estero Saturday.

"They called me this morning at 6 a.m., which was 7 a.m. their time. They received a notification on their phone that their flight had been canceled, but it didn't say anything about what to do to resolve the situation," Genter said.

Billy Genter, in Puerto Rico, explained that he and his wife were preparing to check out of their Airbnb when they received the cancellation notification.

"We're getting ready to check out the Airbnb. I was cleaning up, my wife got the notification that our flight was canceled. I was like, what?" he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration imposed restrictions on flights following the U.S. military's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which led to the cancellation of flights in and out of multiple islands north of Venezuela, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Aruba.

The administration stated that the restrictions are in place to ensure the "safety of the flying public" and will be lifted when appropriate. Billy Genter is not expected to return home to Florida until Tuesday.

"I was hoping that they would have some kind of hotel accommodations, even though it was out of their control, it was outside of our control," he said.

Airlines and cruise lines are offering alternative options, waivers, or refunds for those missing connections in or out of the impacted islands. It remains unclear how long the flight restrictions will last.

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