Venezuela Airline Ban Cuts Flights To Caracas

Venezuela airline ban flights to Caracas escalated a growing travel disruption on November 27, 2025, as the Maduro government revoked operating permits for six major foreign carriers that had halted services after a United States safety warning. Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol had all suspended flights to Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) in recent days, citing a Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, alert about a potentially hazardous situation in Venezuelan airspace. The move sharply reduces direct long haul and regional options into Caracas for travelers from Europe, Brazil, and Colombia, and increases the risk of missed connections as airlines and passengers scramble for alternatives.

The practical change for travelers is that Venezuela has removed traffic rights for six of its most important international partners, in effect cutting some of the busiest Caracas routes just as the United States military builds up forces in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear and the FAA urges airlines to exercise caution in the airspace above Venezuela and the southern Caribbean.

Authorities in Caracas framed the decision as a political response to what they call external pressure. In an Instagram statement, the civil aviation authority accused Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam, Turkish Airlines, and Gol of joining actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States because they unilaterally suspended commercial flights after the FAA warning, and announced that their permits were being revoked. Powerful ruling party figure Diosdado Cabello summarized the ultimatum, saying that if the companies did not resume flights within 48 hours they should not return at all, telling them to keep their planes while Venezuela keeps its dignity.

How the bans affect key routes

The revoked permits directly hit eastbound and westbound links between Caracas and Madrid, Lisbon, Bogotá, São Paulo, and Istanbul, which together carried a significant share of Venezuela's remaining long haul and regional traffic. Iberia and TAP provided important one stop same ticket connections from much of Europe into Venezuela via Madrid and Lisbon, while Latam Colombia and Avianca connected Caracas to Bogotá with onward links across South America. Turkish Airlines' flights also tied Caracas into its Istanbul hub, giving travelers access to the Middle East, Africa, and Asia on a single itinerary.

With those carriers removed, travelers heading to or from Caracas now need to rely more heavily on a shrinking group of operators that are still flying. Reuters and specialized aviation outlets confirm that Copa Airlines and low cost carrier Wingo continue to run flights via Panama City and Colombian cities, and that regional carriers such as Boliviana de Aviación and state owned Conviasa remain on some routes, alongside local airlines Avior and others that still link Venezuela to nearby countries such as Colombia, Panama, and Curaçao. However, schedules are thin and subject to sudden change, so travelers should expect limited same day recovery options compared with larger pre crisis networks.

For many passengers, especially those from Europe, this means that Caracas may no longer be the most practical gateway. Travelers connecting from Madrid or Lisbon might find more reliable options via São Paulo, Bogotá, or Panama City, using carriers that still overfly or skirt Venezuelan airspace without landing, or that serve other Venezuelan cities when permitted. However, every reroute needs to be checked against the FAA and other regulators' advisories, because overflights can be affected even when airlines do not serve Caracas directly.

Background on the FAA warning and Operation Southern Spear

The immediate trigger for the airline suspensions was an FAA Notice to Air Missions issued on November 21, which warned operators about a potentially hazardous situation and a worsening security situation in or near Venezuelan airspace, citing heightened military activity and possible risks to civilian aircraft at all altitudes. Such notices do not automatically ban flights, but they often prompt international carriers to pull back when they judge that risk and insurance exposure are rising.

The FAA warning came as the United States expanded its Operation Southern Spear campaign, a naval and air operation aimed at drug trafficking networks in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that has already carried out more than 20 lethal strikes against suspected drug running boats. U.S. Southern Command has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, amphibious units, bombers, and supporting aircraft to the region, and recently confirmed B 52H bomber demonstrations near Venezuelan waters, all of which increase the density of military activity in the same airspace that civilian jets use for climb, descent, and transit.

At the same time, the Dominican Republic has temporarily allowed U.S. forces to use San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) outside Santo Domingo as staging and refueling points, making the country an even more central node in anti drug operations that may indirectly influence traffic patterns across the wider Caribbean. Venezuelan officials portray this deployment as part of an effort to topple President Nicolás Maduro, while U.S. officials publicly frame it as a campaign against narco terrorists, including the Cartel de los Soles, which Washington recently designated a foreign terrorist organization.

Travelers stranded and near term options

In the days before the ban, European coverage already showed travelers stranded at Caracas check in counters as airlines froze ticket sales or canceled flights, particularly on the Caracas to Madrid route. Some mixed fleet carriers, such as Estelar and Laser, have tried to maintain reduced schedules or short notice reschedulings, but their operations depend partly on wet leased capacity and partnerships with European airlines that are now under pressure.

For travelers who are currently in Venezuela and hold tickets on one of the banned airlines, the first step is to contact the carrier or the issuing travel agency about rebooking or refunds. Most European and Latin American airlines have broad consumer protection obligations that apply even when service is canceled for security reasons, although compensation schemes vary by jurisdiction. In many cases, the practical solution will be a reissue onto an alternative route via a still operating hub such as Panama City, Santo Domingo, or a Colombian or Brazilian gateway, which may add extra stops and require overnight stays.

Anyone planning to travel to Venezuela in the coming weeks should consider whether their trip is essential. If it is, they should avoid itineraries that rely on the banned carriers, book through hubs with multiple alternative airlines, and add more connection time than usual on both sides of any segment that overflies the Caribbean near Venezuela. Given the scale of the U.S. deployment and the volatility of the situation, further changes to advisories, flight paths, or airline decisions are likely without much warning.

Political messages and what might change next

The Venezuelan government is using the airline bans to project defiance at home. Officials stress that Venezuela decides who flies in its territory and that the state retains the right to deny access to companies that, in their framing, side with foreign pressure. Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has called for calm and argued that the way forward is not to send ships or make military threats, while Attorney General Tarek William Saab has publicly welcomed direct talks between Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump, which Trump has described as an attempt to save lives amid the wider confrontation.

For airlines, the choices are harsh. Resuming flights against their own risk assessments and regulator guidance could expose them to safety, liability, and insurance problems, but staying away now carries the explicit threat of losing access to the Venezuelan market even if the security situation later improves. For travelers, this means that any near term restoration of pre warning capacity is unlikely. Even if FAA language softens or the U.S. military footprint shrinks, airlines may wait for an extended period of stability, or a shift in political tone, before rebuilding Caracas schedules.

In the meantime, passengers should treat Venezuela as a destination with constrained international access that depends on a small number of regional carriers and state aligned airlines, and plan trips with conservative assumptions about schedule changes and route availability. Monitoring both aviation advisories and broader geopolitical developments in the Caribbean will be essential for anyone whose work, family connections, or supply chains still require regular travel into or over Venezuelan territory.

Sources

• Venezuela revokes flight rights for six airlines amid escalating US tensions
• Venezuela withdraws operating permits for six airlines after ultimatum over suspended flights
• Venezuela bans six airlines amid US tensions
• FAA warns all pilots of risks of flying over Venezuela over worsening security situation
• US warns airlines of potential hazards when flying over Venezuela
• U.S. Pressure Campaign Against Venezuela Has Entered A New Phase
• U.S. Launches Operation Southern Spear
• Dominican Republic grants US access to restricted areas for its deadly fight against drugs