Venezuela has revoked the operating permits of six major international carriers after the airlines suspended flights in response to a security alert issued by the United States. The action, announced by the country’s civil aviation regulator, has now triggered fresh tension in a region already unsettled by military movements and diplomatic mistrust.
The aviation authority said the affected airlines — Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca, LATAM Airlines, GOL Airlines and Turkish Airlines — were being sanctioned for what it described as “joining actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States.”
In an announcement posted on Instagram, the regulator declared that the airlines “unilaterally suspended air commercial operations” following an alert from Washington about heightened military activity across the Caribbean.
The United States had warned civilian aircraft to apply caution while flying over Venezuelan airspace, citing a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity.” According to American officials, the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group, Navy warships and stealth aircraft was aimed at strengthening anti-narcotics operations in the region.
But President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly argued that the build-up is part of a wider attempt to destabilise his government. Caracas maintains that the US security alert was politically motivated.
Earlier in the week, Venezuela’s Ministry of Transport issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the six airlines to resume operations. The deadline expired at midday on Wednesday with no carrier lifting its suspension.
Local travel data from the Venezuelan Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies shows that more than 8,000 passengers across at least 40 flights have already been affected since the routes were halted.
The decision to revoke licences deepens Venezuela’s long-running standoff with Washington and leaves thousands of passengers scrambling for alternatives ahead of the holiday travel period. For now, the government insists the ban will stand, while the airlines maintain their suspension in line with safety advice from the United States.
