Several airlines have reduced or canceled flights to Venezuela after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requested extreme caution when flying over the country and the southern Caribbean, amid U.S. military operations against drug trafficking, a deployment that the government of Nicolás Maduro considers a direct threat.
Copa Airlines announced that it will begin a daily flight between Panama and Maracaibo, Venezuela, starting December 20, while keeping its operations to Caracas suspended at least until January 15, due to operational risks at Venezuela's main airport.
The Panamanian airline informed that, after conducting a test flight to La Chinita International Airport, it was determined that Maracaibo is a safe and reliable terminal, as it has approach systems that reduce the risk in case of intermittent failures in navigation signals.
Flight CM703 will depart from Tocumen International Airport at 12:14 p.m., arriving in Maracaibo at 2:58 p.m. The return, CM713, will depart from La Chinita at 3:58 p.m. and land in Panama at 4:46 p.m., all in local time.
Meanwhile, Caracas remains off the schedule. Copa explained that the suspension will remain in place until the main runway of Maiquetía International Airport becomes operational again, which has forced the airline to extend the measure for a third time since it was announced on December 4.
As an alternative for passengers, the company stated that it will increase its frequencies between Panama and Cúcuta, Colombia, a border city with the Venezuelan state of Táchira, with the aim of offering more connection options during the peak travel season.
The context is not minor. Even U.S. President Donald Trump stated on November 29 that Venezuelan airspace would remain completely closed, increasing uncertainty in the region.
For now, Maracaibo becomes the only direct air gateway between Panama and Venezuela operated by Copa, while Caracas continues to wait for conditions to allow its main terminal to reopen.
