Venezuela’s aviation authority has ordered international airlines to restart flights within forty-eight hours or face removal of their permission to operate in the country, escalating a standoff that began after carriers halted services due to a US security warning.
The ultimatum, issued Monday by the National Institute of Civil Aviation, came after numerous airlines suspended flights when the US aviation regulator cautioned operators about rising military activity near Venezuelan airspace.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice on Friday advising crews to “exercise caution” when flying in the Maiquetía region, which covers the main international airport serving Caracas. The alert cited a worsening security situation and increased military presence around Venezuela.
In response, major carriers including Iberia, Air Europa, Avianca, Latam, Gol, TAP, Plus Ultra and Turkish Airlines halted services. Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines had already stopped flights in September.
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Only a small number of operators, such as Panama’s Copa Airlines and Venezuela’s state-owned Conviasa, continued running limited routes, sharply reducing international traffic in and out of the country.
The International Air Transport Association warned that revoking operating rights would deepen the country’s air travel isolation. In a statement, the group said it had appealed to Venezuelan officials to reconsider the deadline, noting that its members remained “committed to restoring operations as soon as conditions allow.”
Iata said the suspensions were temporary and motivated solely by safety concerns raised by the FAA notice.
The FAA alert was issued just as Washington increased pressure on the Venezuelan government, dispatching the USS Gerald R Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrier — to the southern Caribbean as part of a broader military deployment.
US officials say the operation targets drug trafficking networks. According to US Navy figures, at least twenty-one strikes on boats allegedly carrying narcotics have been carried out since early September, mostly in Caribbean waters.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of using the operation as cover to destabilise his government. On his weekly television program on Monday, he said, “they will not be able to defeat Venezuela, we are invincible.”
Washington does not recognise Maduro as the country’s legitimate leader, citing the disputed twenty twenty-four election. Even so, President Donald Trump said last week that he had not ruled out speaking directly with Maduro “at a certain period of time.”
