Several international airlines have cancelled their flights to and from Venezuela following a warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about potential hazards in Venezuelan airspace.
The FAA on Friday issued a cautionary notice urging pilots to exercise vigilance when flying over Venezuela, citing a worsening security situation and heightened military activity in the region.
According to ABC news, the advisory warned that unspecified threats "could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes," including planes taking off and landing within Venezuela, as well as those on the ground. The notice remains in effect for 90 days.
As a result, several international airlines including Brazil's Gol, Colombia's Avianca, Portugal's TAP Air Portugal, Spain's Iberia, Chile's LATAM, and the Caribbean's Caribbean Airlines have cancelled their flights.
Gol, Avianca, and TAP Air Portugal cancelled flights departing Caracas, Venezuela's Simon Bolivar Maiquetia International Airport, on November 22 and following days.
Spain's Iberia cancelled flights to Caracas from November 24 "until further notice." However, some airlines such as Copa Airlines and Wingo, continued operations amid the tensions.
The FAA said that while it did not impose an 'outright ban' on flying over Venezuela, the worsening security environment and military mobilisation poses risks for aircraft at all altitudes.
The FAA notice will last for 90 days, urging airlines to exercise caution when flying over Venezuelan territory.
US-Venezuela Tensions
The move comes as US-Venezuelan tensions continue to escalate under the US President Donald Trump administration, which has stepped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump last week did not rule out military action against Venezuela despite bringing up a potential diplomatic opening with leader Nicolás Maduro, who has insisted that a US military buildup and strikes on alleged drug boats near his South American country are designed to push him out of office, reports AP news.
This development adds to already strained relations between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments with American authorities considering Venezuela's "Cartel de los Soles" as a terrorist group and exploring covert operations to possibly overthrow Maduro's administration.
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