Flight cancellations to Venezuela increase: Latam and Turkish Airlines join the aerial exodus following FAA alert on military risks under Maduro’s regime
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Chilean carrier Latam Airlines and Turkish Airlines announced this Sunday the immediate suspension of their operations to Venezuela.
This measure adds to those of at least seven previous companies, forming a cascade of interruptions that leaves Caracas isolated amid an escalation of regional tensions.
All this comes after the notice issued Friday by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warns of a “deteriorating security situation and elevated military activity” in Venezuela and the southern Caribbean Sea, recommending that crews “exercise extreme caution” due to possible threats to civil aviation.
The FAA noted in a background informational document that since September there has been an increase in the number of civil aircraft reporting interference in their navigation systems while flying over Venezuela.
“Although Venezuela has never expressed any intention to attack civil aviation, the Venezuelan military possesses advanced fighter jets and multiple weapons systems capable of reaching or exceeding the operational altitudes of civilian aircraft, as well as a possible low-altitude risk due to portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and anti-aircraft artillery,” the FAA stated.
Latam’s decision implies the cancellation of its daily routes from Santiago and São Paulo to Maiquetía International Airport, Venezuela’s main hub, affecting hundreds of passengers stranded on both sides of the South Atlantic.
Turkish Airlines, for its part, has suspended its direct flights from Istanbul to Caracas, including stopovers in Havana, from this Monday until Friday, November 28, explicitly citing the FAA directive as the main reason.
Previously, we had reported on Gateway Hispanic about the massive presence of U.S. military aircraft, including KC-135 and P-8 Poseidon units, deployed off the Venezuelan coast as a clear deterrent message against Chavista provocations.
Before Latam and Turkish, the airlines Avianca (Colombia), Gol (Brazil), TAP Air Portugal, Iberia (Spain), and Caribbean Airlines had suspended their services on Saturday, leaving the airspace of Maiquetía practically deserted for international flights.
Even local airlines such as Estelar have followed the example, canceling key routes to Madrid for November 24, 26 and 28, citing “operational reasons” that hide the panic over instability.
In total, at least ten companies have cut air ties, an isolation reminiscent of the air sanctions imposed in 2019 by the Trump administration, now revived under renewed pressure against the Maduro narco-regime.
The FAA notice, classified as a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions), does not mention specific threats but refers to risks of military interference or even accidental shootdowns, in a context of Russian and Chinese maneuvers aligned with Maduro that have increased tensions with Washington and Bogotá.
This warning arrives at a critical moment, with the United Kingdom issuing similar alerts and the European Union monitoring closely, while Chavismo responds with belligerent rhetoric that only deepens economic chaos.
For Venezuelans, trapped between internal repression and the collapse of Conviasa — the bankrupt state airline — these cancellations represent a vital cut in remittances, medical tourism and humanitarian evacuations, perpetuating the massive exodus that has drained the country of its talent.
The FAA, under a Republican administration that tolerates no further concessions, sends the regime a very clear message: Maduro’s isolation is non-negotiable.
As airlines prioritize the safety of their operations — and their passengers — the regime sinks into its own swamp of corruption and militarism, reminding us why freedom of air navigation is a pillar of democracy that socialism destroys step by step.
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