The announcement comes from Marisela de Loaiza, President of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV).
The Turkish airline’s decision was also confirmed by a customer service agent who stated, “Some flights were canceled between those dates (November 24 and 28), but not all,” though specific days were not disclosed.
Turkish Airlines’ action follows the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s warning to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuelan territory and the southern Caribbean due to a “potentially dangerous situation in the region.”
The other six airlines suspending flights are TAP (Portugal), Gol (Brazil), Avianca (Colombia), Latam (Chile), and Caribbean Airlines (Trinidad and Tobago-Jamaica), according to the ALAV president.
Venezuelan airlines Laser, Estelar, and Venezolana de Aviación, along with Colombian airline Wingo, reported normal operations in Venezuela.
Venezolana de Aviación offers an international flight to Panama, Laser flies to Spain and Curaçao, and Estelar connects to both the Central American country and Europe.
The flight cancellations align with Washington’s deployment of military troops to the Caribbean Sea, which U.S. President Donald Trump claims is aimed at combatting drug trafficking, a move Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro views as an “invasion threat” and an attempt at a “regime change” in Venezuela.
TAP had already canceled its TP170 flights on Saturday and next Tuesday to Venezuela following information from the U.S. aeronautical authorities regarding security conditions in the country’s airspace.
In a note to the Lusa agency, TAP explained that this decision “is based on information from the United States’ aeronautical authorities indicating that safety conditions in Venezuelan airspace, specifically in the Maquetía flight information region, are not assured.”
The airline further stated that “all passengers were informed of the cancellation and can request a refund if they wish,” expressing regret for “the inconvenience caused” by the decision aimed at “ensuring passenger and crew safety.”
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning on Saturday to commercial flight operators, advising them to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to what it describes as “a potentially dangerous situation in the region.”
“Operators are advised to exercise caution when operating in the Maiquetía flight information region [which corresponds to Venezuelan-controlled airspace, including parts of the southern and eastern Caribbean] at all altitudes due to the worsening safety conditions and increased military activity in or around Venezuela,” the FAA stated in a communiqué.
Since August, Washington has maintained a significant military presence in the area, notably with half a dozen warships, officially to combat drug trafficking to the United States.
