American Airlines plans to resume daily service to Venezuela, becoming the first U.S. carrier to publicly signal readiness to restart flights after nearly seven years.
The airline says it is working with U.S. authorities and other stakeholders as Washington reassesses its relationship with Caracas following recent political and security developments in the country. It adds that it “remains in close contact with federal authorities, and is ready to commence flights to Venezuela, pending government approval and security assessments.”
The announcement comes amid a broader recalibration of U.S.-Venezuela relations after a Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, triggering intensified enforcement of oil sanctions and renewed debate in Washington over diplomatic, economic and security engagement with Caracas.
Earlier this month, Venezuela’s Laser Airlines revived a longstanding bid to enter the U.S. market, asking regulators to act on a dormant application it first filed in 2011. Laser said its request was driven by “the latest events in the government of Venezuela.”
American emphasized its historical presence in Venezuela and the role it played prior to the suspension of flights in 2019. “We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” CCO Nat Pieper says. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the U.S.”
American began operating in Venezuela in 1987 and, before suspending service in March 2019, was the only U.S. airline serving the country after Delta Air Lines and United Airlines exited the market in 2017.
According to OAG Schedules Analyser, American provided 362,000 two-way seats between the U.S. and Venezuela in 2018, accounting for about 58% of overall capacity, with nonstop flights from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo. Overall O&D traffic totaled nearly 602,000 two-way passengers that year, Sabre Market Intelligence data shows.
The U.S. Transportation Department halted all scheduled and charter flights between the two countries in May 2019, citing safety and security concerns tied to Venezuela’s political crisis and the lack of U.S. diplomatic presence. Since then, no scheduled passenger service has linked the two nations, although some U.S. carriers overfly Venezuelan airspace en route to other South American destinations.
American says it will continue coordinating with regulators and internal partners before resuming service. “American will work closely with regulatory agencies, key stakeholders, union partners and team members across the airline on safely resuming service to Venezuela,” the airline says.
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