A second US plane arrives in Venezuela with migrants amid the flight crisis

Caracas.- An airplane from the United States arrived this Friday in Venezuela with 136 deported migrants, the second repatriation trip to arrive in the country amid the cascade of flight cancellations caused by the US warning to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuelan territory and the south of the Caribbean, amid Washington’s military deployment in the region. The plane landed at the Simon Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, which serves Caracas, with 104 men, 24 women, 3 boys and 5 girls returned from Arizona, reported the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV). It’s flight number 93 since last January, when Caracas and Washington, which have not had diplomatic relations since 2019, signed a deportation agreement that has been maintained despite growing tensions between both governments due to the US military presence near Venezuelan waters. The Venezuelan Ministry of Transportation assured on Wednesday that the United States requested “special permits” to operate “repatriation routes with US aircraft”, after reporting that day the arrival of an Eastern Airlines aircraft with 175 deported migrants. The trip occurs two days after the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) revoked the flight concession to the international airlines Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines and Gol, which it accused of “joining the acts of terrorism” promoted by the U.S.

Flight Cancellations Following FAA Warnings

The INAC had set a 48-hour deadline for airlines to resume operations, under the warning of canceling permits. That day, the Spanish airlines Air Europa and Plus Ultra postponed their flights scheduled for Tuesday between Madrid and Caracas. The suspension of flights occurred after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urged to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to what it considers “a potentially dangerous situation” in the area. National companies Laser and Estelar also canceled their trips to Spain after Enaire, the Spanish air navigation manager, at the request of the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), recommended that operators in that country not operate any flights until December 1 in the territory of Venezuela that extends to the Caribbean. For their part, Copa, Satena, Wingo and Boliviana de Aviación airlines continue to operate in the South American nation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which includes more than 300 airlines worldwide, urged Venezuelan authorities this Thursday to “reconsider” their revocation of flight concessions to international airlines.

This Friday, Avianca announced the suspension of the sale and operation of flights to and from Venezuela, after the decision of the INAC of this country, while Air Europa canceled the two frequencies of next Tuesday between Madrid and Caracas “for reasons beyond” this airline.

Weekly flights from Venezuela to abroad fall 24%

Weekly flights from Venezuela to international destinations have fallen by 24.7% with the end of concessions to six airlines, which previously canceled their flights temporarily after an alert issued by the U.S., amid its military deployment in the Caribbean, according to private sector figures shared with EFE. Thus the country went from 105 to 79 international flights per week, after its authorities announced the revocation of permits to Iberia, TAP, Turkish Airlines, Avianca, Latam Colombia and Gol. A source from the private sector told EFE that Venezuela practically lost “all connectivity” with Europe. The decision, which affects two European companies, one Eurasian, and three South American, remains in place, despite the request from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which includes more than 300 airlines worldwide, that it be reconsidered. The destinations that are officially still active are Mexico (Santa Lucía and Cancun), Colombia (Bogotá), Panama, Peru (Lima), Curaçao, Cuba (Havana), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados. Venezuelan state-owned Conviasa also offers flights to China (Guangzhou), Russia (Moscow and Saint Petersburg) and Varadero, Cuba, according to its website. Wingo, Satena, Copa and Boliviana de Aviación also maintain their operations, as well as the local Rutaca, Laser, Estelar and Venezolana de Aviación, with international trips. It has not yet been confirmed whether Venezuela will revoke the operating permit of Air Europa and also the Spanish Plus Ultra, which also canceled flights.