Several international airlines have suspended flights to Venezuela after the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning about deteriorating security conditions and increasing military activity in the region. The move deepens uncertainty around commercial aviation links to the country at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension.
According to Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV), carriers including Iberia, TAP, LATAM, Avianca and GOL halted their operations to Venezuela on Saturday. She did not say how long the suspensions would last, underscoring the fluid nature of the situation. Turkish Airlines followed on Sunday, confirming it would cancel flights from November 24 to 28.
Other airlines are still operating for now. Copa Airlines, Air Europa, PlusUltra and Venezuela’s LASER have kept their flights in place, though industry observers expect schedules to remain subject to change if the security environment continues to shift.
The FAA’s advisory urged civilian aircraft transiting Venezuelan airspace to exercise caution, citing a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.” The agency said potential risks could affect aircraft at all altitudes, during overflights and in the arrival and departure phases, as well as on the ground.
The concern comes as Washington deploys expanded military assets to the Caribbean and surrounding waters, including an aircraft carrier strike group, other naval vessels and stealth aircraft. Officially, the US says the buildup is part of an intensified campaign against drug trafficking. But the scale of the deployment has fuelled anxiety in Caracas, where officials suspect it may signal preparations for an operation aimed at destabilising or removing President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Complicating matters further, a US terrorism designation takes effect Monday for a drug cartel Washington alleges is controlled by Maduro. Analysts say the move could serve as a precursor to more aggressive measures, including potential military action.
Since early September, US forces have conducted strikes against more than 20 vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing over 80 people. Washington has claimed the ships were linked to narcotics trafficking, but it has not yet released evidence supporting the classification of those vessels, raising questions among regional governments and fuelling diplomatic tension.
For now, passengers face a patchwork of cancellations and operational uncertainties as airlines review the evolving security landscape. With both political and military dynamics escalating, Venezuela’s connectivity with the wider region may remain unstable in the weeks ahead.
