Venezuela revokes flight concessions for six international airlines after they suspended operations
Venezuela's government revoked the flight concessions of six international airlines, including Iberia and Avianca, accusing them of supporting U.S. "state terrorism" after they suspended routes.
November 27, 2025 - 01:57 AM ET • 2 min read
The Venezuelan government, led by Nicolás Maduro, revoked the flight concessions for six international airlines on Wednesday, accusing the carriers of supporting "state terrorism" promoted by the United States after they unilaterally suspended operations to and from Caracas.
The decision, announced by the Ministry of Transportation and the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) and published in the Official Gazette on November 26, affects major international carriers: Iberia (Spain), TAP Air Portugal (Portugal), Avianca, LATAM Airlines Colombia, Turkish Airlines (Turkey), and Gol (Brazil).
Venezuelan authorities stated that these companies "joined the actions of state terrorism promoted by the Government of the United States," and justified the revocation by citing the airlines' decision to halt service based on a security warning issued by Washington.
Suspension Followed U.S. Safety Alert
The airlines had canceled their routes following an alert issued last Friday by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA had urged commercial airlines to exercise extreme caution when flying over Venezuelan airspace and the southern Caribbean, citing a "potentially dangerous situation" due to increased military activity in the region.
The Venezuelan government strongly rejected the FAA's warning, claiming the U.S. agency was an "aeronautical authority without competence" over the relevant Flight Information Region (FIR).
The revocation order was issued after a 48-hour deadline, which the government had given to the suspended airlines to resume operations, expired on Wednesday afternoon. The measure fulfills a threat made by the Maduro administration against carriers that halted service following the U.S. security alert.
While several of the affected airlines had already ceased operations in the days prior to the revocation, the government's action formally removes their traffic rights. Two other Spanish carriers, Air Europa and Plus Ultra, also stopped connections with Caracas for security reasons but were not named in the revocation order published in the Gazette.