USA suspends air transport to Venezuela completely over security

Friday, May 17, 2019

The United States has banned all air transport to and from Venezuela on Wednesday over security concerns, further isolating the troubled South American nation. Air transport was one of Venezuela’s last links to the world’s largest economy.

The Department of Homeland Security said it decided to immediately suspend all commercial and cargo flights between the two countries because the country’s political crisis threatened the safety of passengers, aircraft and crew.

The decision will be a heavy blow for millions of Venezuelans who rely on donations or remittances from relatives abroad to survive, as the country’s crumbling economy has destroyed most of its industry and agriculture and slashed government imports. Many have relied on airline courier services from Miami to obtain scarce medication, spare parts and food.

The flight ban comes amid tightening of economic sanctions by the Trump administration against President Nicolás Maduro, which are aimed at forcing him to cede power in favour of the opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Two opposition representatives and several government officials are now in Norway for informal talks aimed at exploring conditions for negotiations, according to senior opposition and government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings were not public. The talks are in the early stages, they said, and may not yield any progress in resolving Venezuela’s crisis.

Mainstream United States-based carriers have all stopped flying to Venezuela in recent years because of falling demand, currency controls and security risks. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines stopped flying to the country in 2017, and American Airlines suspended its daily flights from Caracas to Miami in March after a protest by its pilots.

The big carriers were replaced by Venezuelan airlines and small charter companies, which serviced the route between Caracas and Miami, home to a major Venezuelan diaspora and a traditional tourist destination for the country’s wealthier citizens. All direct flights from Caracas to Miami were canceled Wednesday, according to the Caracas International Airport’s website.

The biggest impact of the ban will be on Venezuela’s largest private airline, Avior Airlines, which had daily flights to Miami from Caracas and the eastern city of Puerto La Cruz.

« Back to Page

• Visa-free travel may open up African tourism

• Slovakia introduces border controls which is effective until June 8

• South Africa looks at creating air transport link to India

• Brazil: Public hearing debate deregulation of air transport

• Boeing, TAROM Romanian Air Transport Announce Order for Five Boeing 737 MAX 8 Airplanes