Leonardo DiCaprio unable to attend Palm Springs Film Festival amid air restrictions

Leonardo DiCaprio will be absent from this year's Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala after being unable to travel due to air restrictions linked to the escalating situation in Venezuela.

The Oscar-winning actor had been scheduled to attend Saturday night's ceremony to receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his performance in "One Battle After Another". However, Variety reports that DiCaprio was unable to depart from St Barts, where he had been holidaying with family and friends ahead of the New Year, after restricted airspace disrupted flights in the region.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Palm Springs International Film Festival said, "Leonardo DiCaprio is unable to join us in person tonight due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace. While we will miss celebrating with him in person, we are honoured to recognise his exceptional work and lasting contributions to cinema."

Palm Springs International Airport also confirmed that departing flights were under a ground stop due to an FAA air traffic control issue affecting Southern California airspace, leading to delays and diversions across multiple airports.

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The travel disruption follows a major geopolitical development. On Saturday morning, US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cila Flores, had been taken into US custody after an overnight military operation.

Despite missing the gala, DiCaprio remains a strong awards season contender. One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, has emerged as an early favourite, winning best picture from the National Society of Film Critics. DiCaprio is also nominated for best actor at Sunday's Critics' Choice Awards.

The Palm Springs gala will still feature a host of A-list honourees, including Timothée Chalamet, Kate Hudson, Michael B. Jordan, Adam Sandler and Guillermo del Toro.