Six airlines suspend Venezuela flights after US warns of ‘potentially hazardous’ airspace
Six international airlines have indefinitely suspended flights to Venezuela after the United States warned pilots of a “potentially hazardous situation” in the country’s airspace. The cancellations spread on Sunday, 1 November, two days after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its warning.
The FAA said on Friday that operators should exercise caution in the Maiquetía flight information region at all altitudes because of the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela. It said unspecified threats could endanger aircraft in the air and on the ground, and airlines must give the FAA at least 72 hours’ notice of any planned flights through the area.
Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, told The Associated Press that six carriers had indefinitely suspended flights: TAP Air Portugal, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol and Caribbean Airlines. Turkish Airlines has also suspended flights. The warning comes as the United States has stepped up military pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford into the Caribbean and flying bombers up to Venezuela’s coast. Washington does not recognise Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, and he faces narcoterrorism charges in the United States.
US forces have also struck small boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific that they accuse of carrying drugs to the United States, killing more than 80 people since early September. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro wrote on X on Sunday that regular flights must continue, saying: “Countries are not blocked, because blocking countries means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity.”
Why it matters
Venezuela is now largely cut off from international air travel at a moment of rising military tension. For Venezuelans, the suspensions mean cancelled trips and stranded passengers. For the region, they are the clearest sign yet that the US military build-up is disrupting everyday life, not just diplomacy.
What happens next
Airlines are expected to keep flights suspended until the security picture improves, and the FAA may update its warning if the situation changes. Passengers should check with their airline for rebooking or refunds. The focus now turns to whether Washington’s pressure campaign escalates further, and whether other carriers follow the six that have already pulled out.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://travelindustrytoday.com/airlines-cancel-flights-to-venezuela-after-faa-warning/ (Associated Press, 1 November 2026)
- https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/createNotamPdf?download=true&transactionid=78680307 (Federal Aviation Administration, 31 October 2026)
