CARACAS, VENEZUELA—The government of President Nicolás Maduro has dramatically escalated its geopolitical standoff with the United States, revoking the operating permits of six major international airlines and accusing them of “joining the actions of state terrorism” promoted by Washington.
The unprecedented ban, announced late Wednesday by Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), targets carriers who had temporarily suspended flights to the capital, Caracas, following a safety warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week.
The Ultimatum and The Ban
The move is a direct response to a U.S. safety advisory and the mounting U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, which Caracas views as an imminent threat of foreign intervention.
- The FAA Warning: The FAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on November 21, urging civilian aircraft to “exercise extreme caution” when operating in Venezuelan airspace due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity.” The advisory followed reports of the U.S. deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and over 15,000 troops near Venezuelan waters, officially for an anti-narcotics operation.
- The Airline Decision: Heeding the FAA warning, six major airlines—including key carriers providing vital air links to Europe and South America—suspended their services to Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) in Caracas.
- The Deadline: Angered by the compliance with the U.S. advisory, the Venezuelan Ministry of Transport issued a 48-hour ultimatum on Monday, demanding the carriers immediately resume operations or risk losing their traffic rights.
When the deadline expired at noon on Wednesday with no flights resumed, INAC executed the ban against: Iberia (Spain), TAP Air Portugal (Portugal), Avianca (Colombia), LATAM (Chile/Brazil), Gol (Brazil), and Turkish Airlines (Turkey).
Accusations of ‘State Terrorism’
The official Venezuelan statement framed the airline suspensions not as a safety precaution, but as a deliberate political act.
“For joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government and unilaterally suspending commercial air operations… [the airlines’] operating permits are revoked,” INAC announced.
The immediate grounding of these carriers has already disrupted travel for an estimated 8,000 passengers and severed vital air connections for Venezuelan citizens, many of whom rely on these airlines for regional travel and links to Europe.
Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel quickly condemned the action as “totally disproportionate,” noting that TAP Air Portugal’s suspension was based purely on safety concerns and that his government had “no intention of canceling our routes to Venezuela” once conditions improved.
The crisis on the tarmac reflects the dangerous military escalation at sea, where President Maduro continues to denounce the U.S. military build-up as a clear attempt to overthrow his government. The action against the airlines confirms Caracas’s willingness to use its airspace as a political weapon, further isolating the nation from global commerce.