SWFL families face travel delays after Caribbean airspace shutdown

Travelers faced chaos after military activity in Venezuela temporarily closed the Eastern Caribbean airspace, leaving many stranded and seeking alternative routes home.

Though the airspace has since reopened, the impact reached Southwest Florida, affecting locals with family members stuck abroad.

Two Lee County dads received calls from their children early Saturday morning, who were stranded in Puerto Rico due to canceled flights.

"As a parent, my first thought is like, How can I help her?" said David Richards, whose daughter is stranded.

"We've never experienced this before, not flying out of Puerto Rico," said William Genter, whose son is stranded.

The closure followed a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured self-proclaimed President Nicolas Maduro. The operation led to the FAA's temporary airspace closure.

"When I found out what was going on, there's really nothing you can do," said Richards. "You just have to sit tight and try to keep in communication with them, too. It is a little nerve-racking."

Genter's son, Billy, and his wife, Jessie, managed to book a flight for Tuesday but had to make a stop in Colombia first.

"I was like, why is it canceled? Do we have any information?" Jessie said. "We didn't have any information for about 30 minutes. So we were like, Okay, let's rebook. And it wasn't letting us rebook until like Thursday. So we were like, okay, something weird is going on? And then we got the email that there was an airstrike."

The couple was on their honeymoon in Puerto Rico when the incident occurred.

"They had cleared the airport out. There was nobody in the airport, except for the long lines at the actual, like, check-in desks," Jessie said.

Hotel prices in Puerto Rico are due to the surge in demand for hospitality.

Billy added, "We're fortunate. I'm fortunate enough that I have family here in the island that they let us like, hey, like, stay at our place for free for a couple of nights and then do whatever you got to do."

Naples resident Allie Carey, who is also stuck in Puerto Rico, says the situation seems to be stabilizing.

"I think things have calmed down here, at least from what I've seen," said Carey. "We're now in a hotel with business people, and I feel like everything's kind of normal."

Richards expressed relief at the prospect of his family's safe return.

"Just the sit and wait game, you know. And just hope everything goes smoothly for their trip back home. And once they're home, then I'll relax," he said.