In a flashpoint for global travel, Venezuela’s aviation authority, Inac, flashed a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that every foreign carrier resume flights to Maiquetía or surrender landing rights. The move arrives as Washington intensifies pressure in the Caribbean, deploying the world’s largest aircraft carrier and orchestrating a wave of naval strikes that Caracas calls intimidation. The FAA’s Friday NOTAM warned operators to exercise caution over the Maiquetía FIR amid worsening security and heightened military activity in and around Venezuela. The clash underscores a broader confrontation over regional influence and drug trafficking near Caribbean routes.
Airlines wasted no time. Iberia, Air Europa, Plus Ultra, Gol, Latam, Avianca, TAP, and Turkish Airlines suspended inbound services, while Copa and Conviasa continued operating. Caribbean Airlines had already halted flights since September. The IATA urged Inac to drop the deadline, warning that blanket suspensions would deepen Venezuela’s isolation and further erode a flailing regional connectivity. Euronews notes travellers stranded as services evaporate, with Maiquetía’s capacity strained.
The 48-hour deadline follows the FAA NOTAM and a wider pattern of rising security concerns in the region, including heightened military activity in the Caribbean and a US military posture described by Washington as counter-narcotics action. The IATA also emphasized that any abrupt scaling back of flights would isolate Venezuela further and undermine the fragile connectivity the country already has in the region.
The list of affected carriers is long and includes Iberia, Air Europa, Plus Ultra, Gol, Latam, Avianca, TAP, and Turkish Airlines, with Copa and Conviasa continuing limited operations and Caribbean Airlines already out since September. For travelers, the disruption translates into stranded passengers, fewer international options, and rising uncertainty about future schedules at Maiquetía, the country’s main international gateway.
Industry body IATA urged Inac to reconsider the deadline, arguing that preserving connectivity is essential and that airlines have paused operations only while conditions are evaluated. As governments weigh security concerns against the economic need for open air links, aviation groups say operations could resume only when safety improves, potentially restoring routes gradually rather than wholesale reinstatement.