“Safety is and will continue to be the primary priority of aviation,” stated the entity representing the interests of the air transport industry, with over 360 affiliated airlines.
The IATA expressed this position following U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration that the Venezuelan airspace should be considered “completely” closed, adding complexity to the ongoing crisis between the two nations.
This situation is part of the significant U.S. military presence in the Caribbean and comes after bombardments against alleged “narco-boats” that reportedly departed from Venezuelan territory.
The international aviation entity, cited by EFE agency, maintained that precaution is “even more important in scenarios where alerts have been issued or specific concerns raised,” and in such cases, airlines must act in accordance with existing regulations and “when necessary, suspend or cancel operations.”
Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned on Saturday about the risks of flying in Venezuela until January 31.
“Airlines have publicly expressed their readiness to resume services to Venezuela as soon as the necessary conditions to do so safely and efficiently are met,” emphasized IATA, urging governments and stakeholders “to respect the responsibility of airlines to make decisions based on safety.”
It clarified that although skies should remain open, safety and compliance with the law “must always prevail.”
