The FAA’s notice cited a “deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela” and warned of risks for aircraft at all altitudes.
What we know about tensions between the US and Venezuela
Here’s what we know about rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday warned major airlines to be careful when flying over Venezuela, warning of “potentially dangerous conditions”.
The FAA notice cited a “deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela,” and said the threat could pose a risk to aircraft at all altitudes.
The region has seen a major U.S. military buildup in recent months, including the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, at least eight other warships and F-35 aircraft.
The administration of President Donald Trump has bombed boats suspected of carrying drugs leaving the coastlines of Venezuela and other Latin American countries.
Direct flights to Venezuela by U.S. passenger airlines and cargo carriers have been suspended since 2019, although some U.S. airlines continue to fly over Venezuela on some South American flights.
American Airlines announced on November 21 that it had suspended flights over Venezuela in October. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.
The order stopped short of banning flights over the country.
The FAA said there has been an increase in interference with global navigation satellite systems in Venezuela since September, in some cases resulting in lingering effects during flights and “activities related to enhanced Venezuelan military preparedness.”
“Venezuela has conducted multiple military exercises and directed the mass mobilization of thousands of troops and reserves,” the FAA said, adding that Venezuela had not at any point expressed any intention to target civil aviation.
The agency said Venezuela’s military has advanced fighter aircraft and multiple weapons systems that reach or exceed the operating altitudes of civilian aircraft, posing a potential danger from low-altitude air defense systems and anti-aircraft artillery.
The FAA said it will continue to monitor the risk environment for U.S. civil aviation operating in the region.
