On Tuesday, Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) announced that airlines must resume operations within 48 hours. If they do not, their traffic rights will be suspended.
The warning came after airlines decided to halt flights due to safety advisories issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Nov. 21.
Previously, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had asked Transport Minister Ramon Velasquez to ensure the application of the law, although he did not give further details.
“There are laws for anyone who commits an infraction. Those who understood, understood,” the Bolivarian leader said during his weekly TV program “Con Maduro”.
By Monday morning, about half a dozen airlines had suspended their flights to and from Venezuela. They included Colombia’s Avianca, Brazil’s Gol, TAP Air Portugal, Spain’s Iberia, Latam Airlines and Turkish Airlines. INAC’s warning implies the removal of traffic rights in Venezuela, which grant landing and takeoff slots at its airports.
This comes amid the growing and massive U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean sea. U.S. authorities recommended that airlines exercise caution when operating in the area “due to the worsening security situation and increased military activity in and around Venezuela.”
On Monday, however, Venezuelan authorities and airline representatives met to coordinate actions to ensure the continuation of flights after several carriers canceled service to the country.
“The central message of the meeting was confidence and safety in operations by air service providers for passengers,” the Transport Ministry said, noting that the meeting included representatives from Laser Airlines, Estelar, Latam Airlines and TAP.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan state airline Conviasa reported that all its domestic and international flights “are operating in complete normality.”
