Rising Security Concerns Trigger Airline Flight Suspensions Over Venezuela

Several major international airlines have canceled flights to and from Venezuela in response to a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory warning of heightened security risks linked to increased military activity and deteriorating conditions in and around Venezuelan airspace. The affected airlines include Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP Air Portugal, Chile’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca, Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines.

The FAA notice, issued on November 21, 2025, cautions airlines about a “potentially hazardous situation” for civil aviation operating in Venezuelan airspace and warns of possible risks at all flight levels—overflight, arrival, departure, and ground operations. The advisory highlights intensified military drills by Venezuela and the mass mobilisation of thousands of military and reserve forces, coinciding with a significant US military presence buildup in the Caribbean region.

Following the warning, TAP and LATAM confirmed that they have canceled flights scheduled for Saturday and the following days. Iberia has suspended its operations indefinitely starting Monday. Avianca, GOL, and Caribbean Airlines also halted their flights from Caracas’ Simon Bolivar Maiquetia International Airport amid concerns over safety conditions.

While the FAA’s advisory does not impose a ban, it instructs civil aviation to proceed with extreme caution given the growing interference with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and the increased risk from Venezuelan air defense systems and military hardware capable of reaching or exceeding civil flight altitudes.

The developments underscore escalating geopolitical and security tensions between the US and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, with the Trump administration intensifying military and diplomatic pressure on Caracas.