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.
