For the fourth consecutive day, passengers remain stranded at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport after failing to fly to Venezuela due to a wave of flight cancellations. Travelers who arrived on Monday hoping to reach Caracas are still waiting for a resolution to their situation. According to airport staff, on Friday morning, around fifty people were in the waiting area, some of whom had been rebooked on Avianca and Air Europa flights with layovers in Medellín and Bogotá. However, about ten people still remain in Barajas, unable to spend the night inside the airport as they are denied access without a valid ticket.
Passengers are expressing frustration that the actual number of rebooked travelers is far lower than claimed, and that there is a lack of information and support. One of those stranded, José Enrique García, was supposed to fly to Caracas on Monday with Venezuelan airline Estelar. Since then, he has been trying unsuccessfully to resolve the situation, noting that the lack of communication with the carrier is taking a toll on his health. After several nights sleeping on the floor and in the cold, he has fallen ill, developed a fever, and has no idea where he will spend the next night.
According to passengers, out of 350 people who bought tickets from Estelar for Monday, only about thirty were rebooked on other flights. In addition, the airline canceled subsequent flights scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. García claims the carrier acted covertly, failing to give advance notice or explain the criteria for rebooking passengers. Many were left without any notification and had to look for affordable accommodation on their own.
Reasons for flight cancellations and airline responses
Mass flight cancellations between Madrid and Caracas began on Saturday, when Iberia suspended its flights following recommendations from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned of the high risk of flying over this region. Since Monday, Iberia planes have not been flying to Venezuela. In response, authorities in Caracas accused the airlines of participating in ‘state terrorism,’ allegedly instigated by the US, and revoked air traffic rights for Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol.
However, the restrictions did not affect Air Europa and Plus Ultra, which nevertheless also canceled their flights the following day, acting on recommendations from the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (Aesa). As a result, hundreds of passengers were left stranded, with no clear instructions or support from the airlines.
Passengers left without support or information
Many of those still at the airport report receiving neither compensation nor offers of accommodation. People are forced to sleep on the floor, experiencing discomfort and stress. Some complain of deteriorating health but can’t rely on medical assistance or even basic amenities. Meanwhile, airline representatives are unreachable, and airport staff simply shrug, citing a lack of authority.
Passengers who managed to switch to alternative flights say the process was chaotic and lacked transparency. Most don’t understand why they were chosen for rebooking while others were left without any solution. As a result, many are forced to find their own accommodation and spend extra money, not knowing when they will return home or continue their journey.
The situation remains unresolved. Some passengers still hope for a quick solution, but most no longer believe the airlines will respond promptly. People fear the flight cancellations could drag on, and that compensation and assistance may never arrive. At Barajas Airport, there is a sense of uncertainty and disappointment, and passengers are left to find their own way out of the situation.
