CARACAS — Venezuela has barred six major international airlines from landing in the country after they failed to comply with a 48-hour ultimatum to resume flights to Caracas, deepening isolation and stranding thousands of passengers.
The affected carriers — Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca and Turkish Airlines — had all temporarily suspended their routes following a warning from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about “worsening security” and “heightened military activity in and around Venezuela.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority, which reports to the transport ministry, revoked the airlines’ landing and take-off rights “with immediate effect,” accusing them of “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government and unilaterally suspending commercial operations.”
The move comes as tensions spike over a massive U.S. military deployment off Venezuela’s coast. Washington has sent 15,000 troops and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford to the region — the largest such operation in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama — saying the mission targets drug trafficking.
U.S. forces say they have carried out at least 21 strikes on boats allegedly carrying narcotics, killing more than 80 people. They have yet to publicly provide evidence that the vessels were drug-laden, prompting analysts to question why such a large force is needed for a counter-narcotics operation.
The Venezuelan government insists the true objective is to topple President Nicolás Maduro, whose re-election last year was widely denounced by the opposition and several foreign governments as fraudulent.
Amid the military buildup, the FAA on Friday urged airlines operating to Maiquetía International Airport, which serves Caracas, to “exercise caution at all altitudes,” triggering route suspensions by the now-banned carriers. An attempt by international airline body IATA to calm the dispute — stressing members’ willingness to restore flights — failed to sway Caracas.
While some smaller carriers continue to fly, the ban has disrupted travel across Europe and Latin America, with passengers scrambling for alternative routes or refunds.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, both Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump have recently signalled openness to direct talks. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he “might talk” to Maduro, adding: “We can do things the easy way, that’s fine, and if we have to do it the hard way that’s fine, too.”
Maduro, for his part, posted a video of himself driving around Caracas under Christmas lights, in an apparent effort to project calm and normalcy as diplomatic and military pressure mounts around his government.
