Various Aviation Incidents Across the Globe Lead to Hundreds of Cancellations

Dozens of flights were canceled across the United States yesterday after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

On Saturday, the US military launched a major operation against Venezuela, launching strikes while a covert team of undercover agents broke into the home of dictator Maduro. The leader was captured and brought to New York before being indicted on several drug and weapons charges, sparking criticism and praise from various countries across the world.

However, due to the American operations, Venezuelan airspace was completely shut down, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prevented many airlines from flying to Caribbean destinations during one of the busiest times of year for the travel industry. The FAA also placed temporary restrictions on the airspace of Puerto Rico.

In total, hundreds of flights were canceled, but most airlines are already back to regular schedules.

Hundreds of people were left stranded after a radio issue impacting Greek airports led to numerous flight cancellations.

According to local reports, Greece was forced to shut down their entire airspace for much of the day yesterday due to the radio issue, which they did not clarify the nature of. They simply confirmed that some sort of accidentally-produced, continuous noise that interfered with their radio systems, and air traffic controllers were left unable to communicate with any airplane in the sky.

All departures and arrivals were halted for safety reasons, with flights in the air being diverted to other nations.

Several people blamed the issue on an extremely old system, according to Reuters, but the problem has been resolved– Greek airspace is now open, and flights have resumed along their usual schedules.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled across northern Europe after a major snowstorm impacted cities like Brussels, Amsterdam, and Paris.

Over 450 flights have been canceled at Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport alone, though the snow remains light. However, due to dropping temperatures, ice has formed in many places, and roads and tarmac have become relatively slippery.

De-icing efforts are also commencing, but the snow is still contributing to significant delays and cancellations during one of the busiest times of year as the holiday season winds down. Both departures and arrivals were affected by the snowstorm, with many flights being diverted before reaching Amsterdam due to the unsafe landing conditions.

Traffic is also snarled, particularly in the Netherlands, where numerous car accidents have occurred in the snow. The country has been experiencing snowfall since Friday, and weather forecasts anticipate the precipitation to continue throughout the week as temperatures remain below 32°F (0°C).

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