Venezuela's air transport system has been reduced to an aging fleet of roughly 20 commercial aircraft, as U.S. pressure on Nicolás Maduro's regime prompts international airlines to suspend service and reroute flights, according to industry data and travel officials consulted by The Wall Street Journal.
The contraction follows warnings from U.S. authorities about heightened military activity around Venezuela, which have led more than a dozen foreign carriers to halt operations to the country. The Federal Aviation Administration cautioned operators in November about a "potentially hazardous situation," and President Donald Trump later said Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed, though Washington has not formally imposed a no-fly zone.
With most international airlines gone, Venezuela's 28 million people are now largely dependent on a small number of local carriers operating older aircraft, as per the International Air Transport Association (IATA) consulted by WSJ. Travel agents say remaining flights are being rerouted through neighboring countries, driving up prices and lengthening journeys.
Passenger traffic has fallen sharply as Venezuela averaged about 15,000 passengers flying in and out each week in recent years, mostly to Spain, Portugal, Panama and Colombia, IATA data show, with that figure dropping to between 1,000 and 2,000 weekly since the latest suspensions.
Venezuelans abroad have reported canceled holidays, difficulty transporting medicines and costly detours to return home. Cargo shipments, including pharmaceuticals, perishables and aircraft parts needed to maintain local fleets, have also been affected, Cerdá said. Aviation experts estimate that about 40,000 passengers had their travel plans disrupted in December alone, the peak season for flights.
Airline officials say safety concerns have also intensified amid the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. Peter Cerdá, IATA's vice president for the Americas, told WJS that carriers want to avoid incidents in airspace where civilian aircraft could be mistaken for military targets. On Dec. 12, a JetBlue flight departing Curaçao for New York reported a near midair collision with a U.S. Air Force refueling plane, an episode that underscored industry concerns.
Military activity has also disrupted navigation. Data analyzed by Stanford University and satellite firms show both U.S. and Venezuelan forces have been jamming GPS signals in parts of the Caribbean, affecting civilian aviation and shipping, as a New York Times report reveals. At least one in five flights in the region has experienced GPS problems since September, according to Stanford's GPS Lab.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused airlines of cooperating with Washington and said national carriers were ordered to keep flying. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government was seeking alternative routes with domestic airlines.
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