American Airlines plans to resume flights to Venezuela for the first time in more than six years, pending government approval and security assessments. The move follows recent developments involving U.S. military action in the country, the airline said on Thursday (29 January).
The flight company had suspended its service to Venezuela in 2019 after the United States barred flights. The carrier said planned daily flights would support business, leisure and humanitarian travel. It began operating in Venezuela in 1987 and was once the largest U.S. airline in the country.
United Airlines declined to say whether it would resume flights, while Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Late Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rescinded a 2019 order that barred U.S. airlines from flying to Venezuela, after U.S. President Donald Trump directed him to make the move.
In his directive, Duffy said "the continued suspension of air service is no longer required by the public interest."
Trump's request came after a discussion with the country's acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
"American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they'll be safe there," Trump said.
Flights are unlikely to resume for several weeks or months, as the FAA must conduct safety assessments and the Transportation Security Administration is expected to carry out security reviews.
“We look forward to facilitating the return of regular travel between the U.S. and Venezuela,” the FAA said on Thursday (29 January).
The Transportation Department must also formally rescind a separate 2019 order issued in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and approved by the Secretary of State.
The State Department had added Venezuela to its “Do Not Travel” list in December.
The FAA warned airlines on 16 January to exercise caution when flying over Mexico, Central America and parts of South America due to risks linked to potential military activity and GPS interference.
On Thursday, the FAA lifted those caution notices for Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia and parts of eastern Pacific airspace, saying they were no longer necessary.
Last month, a JetBlue aircraft bound for New York took evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force tanker near Venezuela that did not have its transponder activated.
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