Venezuela has revoked the operating rights of six foreign airlines, effectively banning them from flying to and from the South American country. The nation’s National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) took the measure in response to the carriers in question suspending flights to Venezuela on US advice.
The initial suspensions came into place at the end of last week, with American authorities warning airlines of “heightened military activity” in and around the country as tensions between the US and Venezuela escalated. After issuing an ultimatum to the carriers that had suspended their flights to and from the country earlier in the week, Venezuela has now revoked their operating rights, accusing them of joining the US in “state terrorism.”
Rapid Developments
The whole situation has unfolded at a considerable pace. Last week, Simple Flying reported that the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States of America had issued a NOTAM that advised airlines to avoid flying over Venezuela. The FAA cited “the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in and around Venezuela” as its reason for telling airlines “to exercise caution when operating in the Maiquetía FIR.”
Venezuela didn’t take kindly to this advice, with the BBC reporting earlier this week that INAC had issued an ultimatum to foreign carriers that had suspended their flights to and from the country. This, the publication notes, required the airlines in question to resume their flights to and from Venezuela, or risk losing their rights to use the country’s airspace. With no movement since, INAC has revoked these rights, saying that it did so:
“For joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the US government, unilaterally suspending commercial air operations to and from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, based on a NOTAM issued by an Aeronautical Authority without competition in the Maiquetia FIR.”
Which Airlines Are Impacted?
According to Reuters, three major European airlines are among those that have been banned from flying in Venezuelan airspace due to their previous operational suspensions. The carriers in question are Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, and Turkish Airlines, which fly to Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) in Caracas. This facility is the largest and busiest airport in all of Venezuela, and 2025 marks 80 years since it first opened, back in 1945.
According to present scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, TAP Air Portugal favors Airbus A330-200 and A330-900 widebody twinjets for these operations, while Turkish Airlines uses Boeing 787s and (occasionally) 777s. While Iberia flies its own A330s to Caracas, certain flights are operated by third-party carriers, such as Wamos Air (with A330s) and Privilege Style with the A330 and the 777.
|
European Airlines’ Flights To Venezuela |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Airline |
Origin |
Destination |
|
Iberia |
Madrid |
Caracas |
|
TAP Air Portugal |
Funchal, Lisbon |
Caracas |
|
Turkish Airlines |
Istanbul |
Caracas |
Closer to home, Venezuela has also revoked the operating rights of South American carriers Avianca, GOL, and LATAM Colombia. Per the BBC, other carriers had already ceased their flights to the country earlier in the year, with Caribbean Airlines (Trinidad and Tobago) doing so in September. It now remains to be seen who will budge first, in terms of either the airlines agreeing to resume flights or INAC giving them back their operating rights.
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Why Are Tensions Rising?
As previously mentioned, the FAA issued its NOTAM to foreign carriers in and around Venezuela at the end of last week due to rising military tensions in the area. According to the BBC, these have arisen as a result of a US military deployment that has seen large forces amass off the coast of Venezuela, where the North American nation reportedly hopes to combat drug trafficking in what is its largest Latin American deployment since 1989.
Among the resources sent by the US are 15,000 military personnel and the USS Gerald Ford, which is the largest aircraft carrier in the world. Despite the reported intentions of the deployment being to combat drug trafficking, President Nicolás Maduro has taken the initiative as an attempt to overthrow him. Given this, and its dislike of the FAA issuing NOTAMs in its airspace, Venezuela has acted quickly with retaliatory measures.
