Venezuela revokes operating rights of six major airlines as tensions with US escalate

Venezuela has revoked operating rights for six major international airlines that suspended flights to the country after a safety warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to a Reuters report, citing a notice issued late Wednesday, the civil aviation authority announced it had withdrawn permits for Iberia, TAP, Avianca, LATAM Colombia, Turkish Airlines and Gol.

The move both fulfils earlier government threats and further isolates Venezuela by sharply reducing international air connectivity.

The decision affects carriers from Spain, Brazil and Colombia — three countries that host some of the largest Venezuelan diaspora communities.

Venezuela-US tensions

Caracas accused the six international airlines of aligning with US “state terrorism,” saying in a statement that the carriers had “joined actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States” by “unilaterally” suspending commercial flights to Venezuela.

The move followed last week’s warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which cautioned airlines about a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around” the country.

Venezuelan authorities dismissed the alert, insisting the FAA has no jurisdiction over the country’s airspace.

Tensions have been escalating for months as the US military increases its presence in the Caribbean, citing what Washington alleges is President Nicolás Maduro’s involvement in drug trafficking that has harmed Americans.

Maduro has rejected the accusations, claiming US President Donald Trump is attempting to remove him from power.

On Monday, the International Air Transport Association said Venezuelan officials had given foreign airlines a 48-hour deadline to resume flights or face losing their operating rights.

The airlines respond

Several international airlines had canceled flights to Venezuela in recent days, ignoring Caracas’s deadline.

Iberia said it wished to restart flights to Venezuela as soon as full safety conditions were met.

Avianca announced its intention to reschedule canceled flights to Caracas for December 5 in a Wednesday statement. The company declined to comment on the restrictions imposed by Venezuela.

Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister Paulo Rangel called Venezuela’s decision to revoke the airlines’ operating rights “totally disproportionate.” He said the European nation - headquarters of carrier TAP - had tried through its embassy in Caracas to persuade Venezuelan authorities to reinstate operating rights.

Air Europa and Plus Ultra had suspended flights but did not have their permits revoked.

International airline Copa and its Wingo unit continue to operate in Venezuela, as do domestic airlines flying to Colombia, Panama and Curacao.

Ban slammed as ‘disproportionate’

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s decision to ban foreign airlines was branded “disproportionate” on Thursday as thousands of passengers scrambled to save their travel plans.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel accused Venezuela of a “disproportionate” reaction.

Portugal has “no intention of canceling our routes to Venezuela, and that, obviously, we only did so for security reasons,” he said.

With inputs from agencies