Venezuela has lost nearly two-thirds of its flight frequencies in the last two weeks due to a cascade of flight suspensions to and from this destination, following security warnings about the country's airspace and the southern Caribbean. This led local authorities to revoke the concessions of eight companies amidst tensions with the U.S.
According to data provided to EFE by the Association of Airlines in Venezuela (ALAV), at the beginning of November, Venezuela had 105 weekly international flights to 16 destinations, operated by twelve foreign airlines. This first week of December, all twelve airlines have suspended their flights. Additionally, two national airlines canceled their itineraries to Spain. In total, the suspensions affected 63 of the 105 international routes.
The announcement by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on November 21st, urging "extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, prompted a series of cancellations by international airlines, starting with Iberia (Spain), TAP (Portugal), Avianca (Colombia), and Gol (Brazil). In response, Venezuela's National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) revoked the air traffic permits of these airlines after giving them a 48-hour deadline to resume flights, which they failed to meet.
The loss of connectivity has mainly affected Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, which serves Caracas, where 96 of the international flights used to arrive and depart. As of this Friday, the airport's main terminal had only nine departures and six international arrivals scheduled, all by local airlines.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated that his country is a "guarantee of security" in the Americas and deemed the military deployment in the Caribbean Sea disproportionate. At the same time, the White House revealed that the Trump administration seeks to restore the Monroe Doctrine to consolidate the United States as the main power in the Americas.
