Six airlines canceled their connections with Venezuelaafter the United States warned civil aviation about an “increase in military activity” amid the deployment of US forces in the Caribbean, the airline union informed AFP.
The Spanish Iberia, the Portuguese TAP, the Colombian Avianca, the Trinidadian Caribbean, the Brazilian GOL and the Chilean Latam They canceled their operationssaid the president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV), Marisela de Loaiza.
He did not specify how long the suspension will be.
At the moment, the Panamanian Copa, Air Europa, Turkish, the Venezuelan Laser and the Spanish PlusUltra continue to operate, De Loiza said.
The United States mobilized the largest aircraft carrier in the world to the Caribbean along with a flotilla of warships and fighter planes for anti-drug operations, which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounces as a “threat” to force his overthrow.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday urged aircraft flying through Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and increased military activity in and around Venezuela.”
“The threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of the flight, and/or for airports and aircraft on the ground,” the FAA said.
The United States plans to declare a drug trafficking cartel allegedly led by Maduro as a terrorist organization on Monday.
Since September, US forces have attacked more than 20 vessels allegedly dedicated to drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific, causing the death of 83 people.
In a statement, ALAV urged people “who have tickets on the different airlines that serve Venezuela, and whose flights are scheduled for the coming days or weeks” to “be attentive to any notice from their airline.”
“International commercial flights could be affected by activities outside of civil aviation that are carried out in the airspace,” added the ALAV.
On the website of the Maiquetía International Airport, which serves Caracas, TAP and Avianca flights appear as canceled this Saturday.
