Caracas, Venezuela. U.S. passenger air service to Venezuela resumed on Thursday after seven years, with an American Airlines flight arriving from Miami. The carrier is restarting daily service following the lifting of a 2019 order that had barred U.S. airlines from flying to Venezuela.
American Airlines service and expansion plans
American is resuming daily service to Venezuela using an Embraer 175 operated through Envoy, its wholly owned regional subsidiary. The airline plans to add a second daily flight starting May 21. The first flight, which included government officials and reporters, landed on Thursday afternoon.
U.S. policy change and approvals
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy lifted the 2019 order in January after President Donald Trump directed him to do so, and in March approved American’s request for flights. The Transportation Security Administration was in Caracas in March to review airport security procedures, a necessary step to resume flights.
Statements from Venezuelan and U.S. officials
Venezuela’s Transport Minister Jacqueline Faria said at a welcome event at Maiquetia airport near Caracas that the renewed flights mean connectivity and development. She was accompanied by U.S. charge d’affaires John Barrett.
Faria said Venezuela anticipates 100,000 passengers a year, roughly 7,200 to 8,000 per month, on the renewed flights. Barrett said the day marked a milestone in relations between the two countries and described it as a signal to global markets that Venezuela is open for business.
Background on service suspension and travel advisory
American began operating in Venezuela in 1987 and was the largest U.S. airline in the country before it suspended service in 2019 after the U.S. ban. The airline said the planned daily flights will provide opportunities for business, leisure and humanitarian travel.
The State Department lifted Venezuela from its “Do Not Travel” list for Americans in March and issued a “Reconsider Travel” advisory due to risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure.
How might the resumption of daily U.S.-Venezuela flights affect travel options for you?