Paulo Rangel, speaking to journalists in parliament, described the Venezuelan authorities’ decision to revoke the flight authorization as disproportionate, while noting that the government is engaging with the embassy to address the issue.
“Our effort is to persuade the Venezuelan authorities, through our embassy, that this measure is disproportionate. We have no intention of canceling our routes to Venezuela and only took action due to safety concerns, which, according to international aviation regulations, left no room for deviation,” he explained.
The Minister of State emphasized, “It would be completely irresponsible for TAP to continue flights following alerts about safety risks, such as flights potentially being targeted by military objects.”
“I believe there is no one in Portugal who would argue against a company suspending flights when faced with credible alerts about compromised safety conditions,” he stated, highlighting that several airlines shared this stance.
Rangel noted that TAP assessed the safety conditions on a “flight-by-flight” basis.
He expressed hope that diplomatic efforts will succeed, allowing Venezuela to restore TAP’s flight authorization.
“We must wait. For now, we’re monitoring the situation for anyone urgently needing to travel to or from Venezuela,” he mentioned.
When questioned about the possibility of evacuating people from the country in emergencies, Rangel remarked that these situations require a “global approach.”
“In urgent cases, we strive to find solutions. So far, we have not received any reports of such instances,” he added.
TAP announced that safety concerns, dictated by internal standards and the regulator, currently prevent flights to Venezuela, stressing its commitment to serving the diaspora in the region.
The Venezuelan government followed through with its threat, revoking the operational licenses of several international airlines, including TAP, accusing them of aligning with “acts of terrorism” promoted by the U.S.
The Ministry of Transport and the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) of Venezuela declared the decision on Wednesday, affecting airlines such as Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol.
These airlines had canceled flights to and from Caracas after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advised last Friday that commercial airlines “exercise extreme caution” flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to what it considers a “potentially hazardous situation in the region.”
