Venezuela has taken a drastic measure by revoking the operational permits of six international airlines, citing the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) warning as the reason. The move was made on Wednesday after the airlines suspended flights to the country following the FAA's alert about a "potentially hazardous situation" due to Venezuela's worsening security situation and heightened military activity.
According to Venezuelan authorities, the six airlines - Iberia from Spain, Tap from Portugal, Avianca from Colombia, Latam from Brazil, Gol from Brazil, and Turkish Airlines - have been accused of "state terrorism" for joining in on the US government's actions. This decision was made despite the FAA having no jurisdiction over Venezuela's airspace.
The Portuguese foreign affairs minister, Paulo Rangel, described the move as "totally disproportionate" and stated that his country had tried to persuade Venezuelan authorities to reinstate operating rights. He emphasized that Portugal has no intention of canceling its routes to Venezuela, but only did so for security reasons.
Tensions between Venezuela and the US have been escalating over allegations that President Nicolás Maduro is involved in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. Maduro has denied these accusations and accused former US president Donald Trump of seeking to overthrow him.
The International Air Transport Association had given international airlines a 48-hour deadline to resume flights or risk losing their rights to fly to Venezuela, but several airlines ignored this warning and cancelled their flights instead.
However, some airlines have shown willingness to restart flights once safety conditions are met. Iberia has expressed its desire to resume flights to Venezuela as soon as full safety conditions are in place. Avianca has also announced plans to reschedule cancelled flights for December 5.
Despite these restrictions, several international airlines continue to operate in Venezuela, and domestic airlines flying to Colombia, Panama, and Curaçao remain operational.
According to Venezuelan authorities, the six airlines - Iberia from Spain, Tap from Portugal, Avianca from Colombia, Latam from Brazil, Gol from Brazil, and Turkish Airlines - have been accused of "state terrorism" for joining in on the US government's actions. This decision was made despite the FAA having no jurisdiction over Venezuela's airspace.
The Portuguese foreign affairs minister, Paulo Rangel, described the move as "totally disproportionate" and stated that his country had tried to persuade Venezuelan authorities to reinstate operating rights. He emphasized that Portugal has no intention of canceling its routes to Venezuela, but only did so for security reasons.
Tensions between Venezuela and the US have been escalating over allegations that President Nicolás Maduro is involved in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. Maduro has denied these accusations and accused former US president Donald Trump of seeking to overthrow him.
The International Air Transport Association had given international airlines a 48-hour deadline to resume flights or risk losing their rights to fly to Venezuela, but several airlines ignored this warning and cancelled their flights instead.
However, some airlines have shown willingness to restart flights once safety conditions are met. Iberia has expressed its desire to resume flights to Venezuela as soon as full safety conditions are in place. Avianca has also announced plans to reschedule cancelled flights for December 5.
Despite these restrictions, several international airlines continue to operate in Venezuela, and domestic airlines flying to Colombia, Panama, and Curaçao remain operational.
what's going on with venezuela?! it's crazy that they're revoking permits from all those airlines over the usa's warning... like isn't there a way to communicate without threatening each other? 
and i don't get why they called out the spanish, portuguese, colombian, brazilian, and turkish airlines for joining in on the usa's actions - can't we all just coexist and figure this stuff out peacefully? 
it's so frustrating when countries start playing politics with their relationships over something that could've been resolved through diplomacy... anyway, i guess some airlines are still down to fly back once things calm down 
this is wild what's going on with Venezuela it feels like they're getting caught up in a whole web of politics and security issues 
i mean i get why the FAA would be warning about safety concerns but revoking permits from international airlines seems extreme 
especially when you consider all the other countries that are still flying into venezuela 
colombia, panama, curaçao... it's like they're trying to isolate themselves or something 
not sure what to make of this situation but it's definitely got everyone talking 
. i mean, sure, the faa warning is legit, but revoking permits for 6 airlines just because of it? that's just a bunch of drama 
. what's the point of even having international flights if they're just gonna cancel 'em over some security concerns 
? also, avianca's trying to reschedule their flights in dec... but honestly, who's gonna fly to venezuela now? 
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. And then they have the nerve to call him out for it? Like, what evidence do they actually have? 
. But, like, can we please just have a more nuanced conversation about this whole thing instead of, you know, labeling people with harsh words and making accusations left and right? 
It's like a game of chicken, but instead of cars, it's planes! 
and what's with all this "state terrorism" drama? 
I get that tensions are high between Venezuela and the US, but isn't there a way to work out their differences without making airlines pay the price? 
seems like a lot of airlines just followed the US lead and cancelled their flights, but some airlines are showing willing to fly again once things calm down... 
I guess we'll have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out. 
I mean, I get it, safety first and all that, but revoking operating permits over a disagreement? That's just excessive 
. Six airlines, shut down like that? It's crazy! And what's with the 'state terrorism' label? That sounds like something straight out of a bad action movie 
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. And what's with all these allegations about Maduro and US-Venezuela relations? It's like, can't we just focus on the flights for now? 
. And Portugal's not canceling its routes after all 
. Good on 'em!
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Venezuela's move is super harsh, I mean, who expects the gov't to cancel all those flights like that? The US government's warnings should've been enough, but revoking permits on 6 airlines is just ridiculous 
. I don't think any airline wants to be seen as "state terrorism" 
. On the other hand, I'm glad some airlines like Avianca are willing to reschedule flights once things get safer 
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. I mean i get that safety concerns but is it really worth the drama? 
. This whole situation is getting out of hand 
Maybe we could work together to make Venezuela a safer place? 
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