Escalating political and military tensions between Venezuela and the United States are grounding flights and disrupting travel plans for thousands, particularly during the busy holiday season. Several international airlines-including Iberia, TAP, and Avianca-have been impacted by the crisis, triggered by a U.S. Federal Aviation Management warning and subsequent license revocations by Venezuelan authorities. The situation highlights the fraught relationship between the two nations and the immediate consequences for civilian air travel, as airlines weigh safety concerns against the significant financial implications of suspended service.
Airline operations to Venezuela are facing significant disruption as political and military tensions between the governments of Caracas and Washington escalate, leaving carriers uncertain about resuming flights. The situation highlights the delicate balance between international aviation safety and geopolitical pressures, impacting travel options for thousands of passengers.
Several Spanish airlines have found themselves in a difficult position, unsure when they can restart services to Venezuela. The uncertainty follows a recent alert issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging extreme caution for aircraft flying over the South American nation. This warning reflects the heightened political and military strain between the Maduro and Trump administrations.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) further complicated matters by issuing a warning about the risks associated with operating flights to Venezuela, effectively halting air travel. This development underscores growing regional tensions and their impact on civilian air transport.
The disruption is already impacting holiday travel, a peak season for air traffic. Iberia Airlines had sold over 12,000 tickets for flights between Caracas and Madrid in December alone. Between November 24 and December 1, approximately 3,000 passengers traveling with the Spanish carrier, part of the IAG group, were affected. Globally, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that 15,000 people each week are now unable to fly to Venezuela.
“This is Madness!”
On Thursday, Venezuela’s Ministry of Transport and the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) revoked the operating licenses of several international airlines. Those affected include Iberia, TAP, Avianca, LATAM Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol, accused of “joining actions of terrorism” promoted by the Trump administration.
Former U.S. President Trump weighed in on Saturday with a message on his Truth Social account, warning airlines and pilots to consider Venezuela’s airspace “completely closed.” “This is madness!” responded a Caracas-based lawyer, as quoted by El Confidencial. The move effectively represents a total closure of Venezuelan airspace, and the full consequences remain difficult to assess.
“The measure takes ‘a political rather than a technical, legal or operational hue,'” according to a lawyer in Caracas.
Trump’s statement reinforces the FAA’s NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions). However, the fact that the warning came directly from the former president, rather than the FAA, gives the measure “a political rather than a technical, legal or operational hue,” according to the Caracas-based lawyer.
Iberia stated, “We trust to resume flight operations under normal conditions when safety is guaranteed,” according to a spokesperson for the IAG group, confirming the company’s willingness to offer changes to dates, destinations, or full ticket refunds. Air Europa and Plus Ultra, the other two Spanish airlines that fly to Caracas, have also had their flights revoked. “We continue to monitor the situation daily. We hope to resume flights when conditions are favorable,” said Air Europa.
“If flying is dangerous, you shouldn’t do it. Safety must be prioritized,” said a Spanish aviation expert in a telephone interview. “The biggest loser is Venezuela and the Venezuelan people,” he added. The consequences of fewer airlines operating include reduced flight availability and higher ticket prices.
There is also speculation that the Spanish government “may take reciprocal measures against the Latin American country, such as suspending licenses for Venezuelan airlines.” It is added: “We will have to see how this unfolds. I suppose traffic will return, but it may be soon. We have to wait and see how the situation develops, but these are very sensitive dates.”
The Air Corridor Solution
Trump’s Saturday message effectively dashes, at least for the immediate future, the possibility of creating an air corridor – a kind of demilitarized zone – outside the reach of any potential conflict. Another option gaining traction is increasing frequencies and routes to neighboring countries like Colombia, and from there, facilitating passenger transfers.
Conviasa, the Venezuelan state airline, has so far maintained short- and medium-haul flights. Long-haul routes have been subcontracted to other airlines that currently do not have a recommendation against flying, such as Cubana de Aviación. Sources in the aviation sector recall that on some Iberia and Air Europa flights to Caracas, the crew does not spend the night in the Venezuelan capital but in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) to reinforce security.
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TE PUEDE INTERESAR
Trump advierte a las aerolíneas de que se considere el espacio aéreo de Venezuela “cerrado en su totalidad”
Europa Press
“This is a chess game that the Maduro government is no longer interested in playing.” There are more departures from Caracas than arrivals to Venezuela. If hostilities do occur, they will be resolved, sources in the aviation sector emphasize, pointing to the advantageous geographical location of Caracas airport, northwest of the city. “Operations will not resume until safety is 100% guaranteed. Unions will not want to fly in these conditions either.”
Natalia Hustova, a researcher specializing in airport systems at the Andalusian Institute of Tourism Research and Innovation, stresses that knowing there have been “such tragic cases, prevention is best.” “It is a purely safety-related decision and quite appropriate given the accidents that have occurred in similar circumstances,” Hustova explained.
Reputational Cost
The precedents are not reassuring. In January 2020, Iran admitted to accidentally shooting down a Boeing 737-800 operated by Ukraine International Airlines, attributing it to a mistaken identification as “a hostile target.” 176 people died. In 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, determined by the UN’s aviation agency, ICAO, to have been downed by Russia. The crash killed all 298 passengers and crew. While military action was already underway in the latter case, the Ukraine International Airlines flight had only been issued a “situation of alert.”
Now, no one wants to take even the slightest risk. First and foremost, human lives are prioritized, as is the reputational cost of a decision that no one will take lightly… although airlines will soon calculate the financial losses of these weeks, which will not be long in appearing on their balance sheets.
Meanwhile, Caracas airport, according to a resident of the Venezuelan capital, increasingly resembles a ghost town. However, El Nacional reports that traffic has increased at Cipriano Castro Airport, located in the border city of San Antonio del Táchira, with 5,200 additional weekly passengers. Saturation is already occurring.
Lo primero es la seguridad. Con este principio que tiene grabado en sangre cualquier directivo de compañía aérea, todo lo que sigue quizá, por ser tan obvio, no merecería la pena ni escribirlo… pero el asunto da para mucho. Porque están afectadas aerolíneas importantes, porque los lazos de unión entre los dos países siguen siendo sólidos y porque no se vislumbra, por el momento, una solución clara. Es más, todo se complica.
