After US warning, major airlines cancel Venezuela flights amid rising security risks

Several major international airlines cancelled flights departing from Venezuela on Saturday, a day after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned carriers of a "potentially hazardous situation" when flying over the country, Reuters reported on Sunday.

According to Flightradar24 data and the official website of the Simón Bolívar Maiquetía International Airport, Brazil’s Gol, Colombia’s Avianca, and TAP Air Portugal did not operate their scheduled departures from Caracas on Saturday.

Colombia’s aviation authority, Aeronáutica Civil, said there were "potential risks" associated with flying in the Maiquetía area "due to the deterioration of security conditions and increased military activity in the region."

TAP Air Portugal confirmed its cancellations for Saturday and next Tuesday. “This decision follows information issued by the United States aviation authorities, which indicates that safety conditions in Venezuelan airspace are not guaranteed,” the airline told Reuters.

Spain's Iberia said it would cancel flights to Caracas from Monday "until further notice." The airline added that its flight scheduled for Saturday from Caracas to Madrid had departed as planned. “The company will assess the situation to decide when to resume flights to that country,” an Iberia spokesperson told Reuters.

Panama’s Copa Airlines and Colombia’s low-cost carrier Wingo continued operating their departures from Maiquetía on Saturday.

The FAA advisory cited the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela and warned that threats "could pose risks for aircraft at all altitudes."

The notice comes amid a significant American military buildup in the region in recent months, including the deployment of the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, at least eight additional warships and F-35 aircraft.

Flightradar24 also showed that LATAM Airlines’ scheduled flight to Bogotá on Sunday had been cancelled.