The US authorizes American Airlines to fly to Venezuela again

The United States Department of Transportation approved this Wednesday the request from American Airlines to resume direct flights from Miami to the Venezuelan cities of Caracas and Maracaibo. The route will be operated by Envoy Air, a regional subsidiary of the company.

The permit, which is valid for two years, represents the return of the American airline to the South American country for the first time since 2019. The service reactivation occurs after the US government lifted, in January, the restrictions that prevented its airlines from flying to Venezuela. The decision was driven by a request from US President Donald Trump to the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, during a conversation with the head of the Chavista regime, Delcy Rodríguez, in which Trump requested to reverse the order that since 2019 blocked commercial flights between both countries. American Airlines, which began operating in Venezuela in 1987, suspended its flights following the imposition of the ban. Before the suspension, it was the main US airline in the country, with a wide presence that facilitated passenger traffic and commercial exchange between the United States and Venezuela.

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With the re-establishment of the Miami-Caracas-Maracaibo route, the company seeks to regain its position in the market and offer an alternative for business trips, tourism, and humanitarian missions.

Security Inspections

Sources in the aviation sector confirmed that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) conducted an inspection in Caracas last week to evaluate and verify airport security procedures, a necessary step to restart operations. The Department of Transportation emphasized that the authorization granted to Envoy Air will be valid for two years, although the company has not yet announced the exact date of the first flight. The reopening of the air connection occurs two months after the US military intervention that resulted in the capture of the narcodictator Nicolás Maduro and the beginning of a new stage of bilateral relations, with emphasis on energy cooperation and foreign investment. During his last State of the Union address, Trump called Venezuela a “new friend and partner” and praised the collaboration with Delcy Rodríguez. Despite the resumption of flights, the State Department maintains Venezuela on its list of countries "to which travel is not recommended" for U.S. citizens, due to concerns about security and regional instability.

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Air normalization and new routes in the region

In parallel with the resumption of American Airlines frequencies, other international companies have also resumed their operations to and from Venezuela. Latam Airlines reopened the Bogota-Caracas route this week, initially with four weekly flights and with plans to offer a daily service from April. These initiatives are part of a process of normalizing regional connectivity after years of restrictions and suspensions motivated by political and security factors. American Airlines' return to the South American country could facilitate the flow of passengers and goods, as well as contribute to the revitalization of the tourism and business sector in both destinations.