Venezuela Flight Suspensions After FAA Airspace Warning

Venezuela flights suspended FAA warning has quickly turned into a real problem at Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) near Caracas, Venezuela, after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a November 21, 2025 advisory about a potentially hazardous situation in the country's airspace. At least six major regional carriers, Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, LATAM Airlines, Avianca, Gol Linhas Aéreas, and Caribbean Airlines, have now halted flights into or out of Caracas, sharply cutting long haul options across Europe and Latin America. Travelers booked on near term itineraries should expect cancellations, rerouting through third country hubs, and longer exit timelines, and should start building backup plans with airlines and consulates instead of waiting for same day fixes at check in.

The practical change for travelers is that a new FAA security advisory for the Maiquetia flight information region, which covers all Venezuelan airspace and some surrounding Caribbean routes, has pushed multiple non U.S. airlines to pull scheduled service from Caracas, creating gaps on routes that used to be the easiest way in or out of the country.

As of November 23, reporting by aviation outlets and airlines indicates that Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, LATAM, Avianca, Gol, and Caribbean Airlines have suspended flights serving Caracas, either for specific dates or until further notice, explicitly citing the FAA warning or broader security assessments. Some flights were cancelled immediately over the November 22 to 23 weekend, including planned LATAM and TAP departures, while carriers such as Iberia have announced indefinite suspensions starting Monday, with future plans described only as under review. By contrast, Copa Airlines and low cost carrier Wingo have kept limited operations in place for now, although both highlight that schedules remain subject to change as the situation evolves.

For passengers on these suspended routes, the immediate effects are last minute cancellations, loss of nonstop links to hubs such as Madrid, Lisbon, Bogotá, São Paulo, and Port of Spain, and a rapid shift toward indirect routings via remaining carriers or nearby islands. Travelers who booked through codeshares, smaller travel agencies, or online platforms may not see automatic rebooking offers, and in many cases will have to proactively request alternative itineraries or refunds under each airline's own disruption policy. Where services still operate, flights are likely to run very full as displaced passengers compete for fewer seats, and fares for near term departures may rise.

From the regulatory side, the FAA's NOTAM A0012/25 advises operators to exercise caution at all altitudes when flying in the Maiquetia flight information region because of a worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela. The notice stresses that threats could affect overflights, arrivals, departures, and even aircraft parked on the ground, and it introduces a mandatory requirement for operators to provide at least 72 hours of advance notice to the agency for any planned activity in the affected airspace. The advisory took effect on November 21, 2025 at 5:43 p.m. UTC and currently runs through February 19, 2026, giving it a three month window that airlines must factor into winter scheduling.

FAA background material tied to the advisory highlights a marked increase in interference with Global Navigation Satellite System signals in Venezuelan controlled airspace since September, along with activity consistent with increased military readiness by Venezuela's armed forces. Reports describe multiple instances where civil aircraft have experienced GNSS jamming or spoofing while crossing the region, in some cases with lingering navigation issues for the remainder of the flight and potential impact out to 250 nautical miles from interference sources. The same background notes that Venezuela deploys air defense systems and fighter aircraft capable of reaching typical civil cruise altitudes, even though there is no public indication that the government intends to target civilian traffic.

Background: How FAA Security Advisories Work

Security NOTAMs of this kind are not outright bans on flying, but they signal that the United States views an airspace as elevated risk and expects operators to account for military activity, electronic interference, or conflict spillover. In other regions, similar advisories have preceded more sweeping prohibitions when conflicts intensified, but they have also sometimes remained as caution notes for years in areas where risk is chronic yet manageable with specific procedures. For Venezuela, direct passenger and cargo flights by U.S. carriers were already suspended by the Department of Transportation in 2019, so the new advisory mostly affects non U.S. airlines and U.S. carriers that had used Venezuelan airspace as a corridor between North and South America.

The broader backdrop is an escalation in U.S. military activity in the Caribbean and along Venezuela's coastline, officially framed as operations against drug trafficking and narco terrorism networks, and in response Venezuela has mobilized large numbers of troops and conducted repeated military exercises. Analysts interviewed by major outlets describe the aviation warning as one part of a wider standoff between Washington and Caracas, with civil flights exposed to the spillover effects of deployments, exercises, and electronic warfare measures rather than direct targeting.

What This Means For Travelers In Or Bound For Venezuela

For travelers already in Venezuela with return flights on Iberia, TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Gol, or Caribbean Airlines, the main immediate task is to confirm whether their specific flight is cancelled and, if so, to secure a rebooking on an operating carrier, often via a different hub such as Panama City, Bogotá, or a Caribbean island like Curaçao that still has links to Caracas or other Venezuelan cities. In many cases, rebookings will involve overnight stays, split tickets, or changes to the final destination airport, for example reaching Europe through Madrid or Lisbon on a different airline or routing through São Paulo or Lima instead of the original plan.

Travelers who have not yet departed but hold tickets to Venezuela in the coming weeks should seriously consider whether the trip is essential, given existing high level government travel advisories and the increased aviation risk now flagged by the FAA. Those who decide to proceed will need flexible tickets, comprehensive travel insurance that covers security related disruptions, and several layers of backup, including alternative routings, willingness to depart from or arrive in a nearby country, and enough buffer to absorb sudden schedule changes.

Because the FAA advisory is valid into February 2026, travelers looking at peak holiday periods, early 2026 business trips, or family visits should not assume that current suspensions will be brief. Airlines may restore some flights if they judge the risk to be contained, but the combination of security concerns, fuel costs for detours, and existing U.S. restrictions makes Venezuela a marginal market for many carriers, so capacity is likely to remain thin and volatile.

Finally, anyone traveling on a non U.S. passport should monitor both their home country's foreign ministry advisories and local consular messaging, since evacuation capacity and recommended routes can differ significantly by nationality. U.S. citizens, and citizens of allied countries with strong warnings in place, should register with their embassy's traveler enrollment program and make sure family or advisors outside the country have copies of itineraries, passport details, and emergency contacts.

Sources

• KICZ NOTAM A0012 25 Security Advisory For The Maiquetia Flight Information Region
• FAA Background Information Regarding U.S. Civil Aviation For The Maiquetia Flight Information Region
• Prohibitions Restrictions And Notices, Venezuela Section
• International Airlines Cancel Flights From Caracas After FAA Warning
• Six Major Airlines Halt Venezuela Flights Amid Escalating Security Warnings
• US Warns Civilian Flights As Military Activity Around Venezuela Increases
• FAA Warns All Pilots Of Risks Of Flying Over Venezuela Over Worsening Security Situation
• FAA Warns Of Potentially Hazardous Situation Urges Airlines To Exercise Caution When Flying Over Venezuela