American Airlines to resume US flights to Venezuela for first time since 2019 after Trump announces airspace reopening

American Airlines announced on Thursday that it intends to restart daily flights to Venezuela for the first time since 2019, pending government approval and subject to security review.

This comes weeks after US forces captured former president Nicolas Maduro during Operation Absolute Resolve.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump directed the Transportation Department to lift the current limitations that bar US flights following a conversation with Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez, according to Reuters.

Trump stated, "American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they'll be safe there.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will reportedly go through safety assessments before flights can resume, a process expected to take several months.

“American Airlines is proud to be the first airline to announce plans to reinstate nonstop service between the United States and Venezuela. The airline remains in close contact with federal authorities, and is ready to commence flights to Venezuela, pending government approval and security assessments,” the airline said in an official statement.

American, which began operations in Venezuela in 1987, stated that the flights would allow for business, leisure, and humanitarian travel to the region. Prior to the suspension, it was the largest US airline operating in the country.

American’s Chief Commercial Officer reacts

Nat Pieper, American’s Chief Commercial Officer, said the airline has been linking people between Venezuela and the US for over three decades and is prepared to restart that strong connection. He added that bringing back service to Venezuela would allow passengers to reconnect with loved ones and help expand business and trade with the US.

Meanwhile, on January 16, the FAA cautioned airlines to be careful when flying over Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America due to potential military activity and GPS interference risks.

Notices were issued to Airmen for Mexico and countries in Central America, as well as Ecuador, Colombia, and sections of airspace over the eastern Pacific Ocean, the FAA stated.

Relations between the United States and regional leaders have grown more strained since the Trump administration carried out a major military buildup in the southern Caribbean.

Earlier this month, Trump claimed that drug cartels were effectively in control of Mexico and suggested that the United States could carry out strikes on land targets to counter them, part of a broader pattern of threats involving the use of US military force against cartels.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has continuously cautioned that any unilateral US military action in Mexico would be a serious violation of the country’s sovereignty. At the same time, she has agreed to bilateral security cooperation with the United States in an effort to keep Mexico out of Trump’s crosshairs.

Last month, a JetBlue flight heading to New York was forced to take evasive action to avoid a midair collision with a US Air Force tanker near Venezuela that was flying without its transponder activated.