American Airlines cleared to resume US–Venezuela flights for the first time since 2019
March 5, 2026
American Airlines is set to resume commercial flights between the US and Venezuela for the first time in seven years after the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) gave the green light for services to restart.
The move comes following the removal of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year and an improvement in the country’s security situation.
American Airlines to resume flights from the US to Venezuela
On 4 March, the USDOT approved a request from American Airlines to operate flights from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo in Venezuela.
The flights will be operated by American Airlines’ wholly owned regional subsidiary Envoy Air, flying under the American Eagle brand.
All US carriers were banned from flying to Venezuela in 2019 following a deterioration in the nation’s security situation. American Airlines, which started operating in Venezuela in 1987, suspended service to the country after the US ban was imposed.
American was the largest US carrier to serve Venezuela at the time the ban was put in place. However, in January of this year, the carrier applied to the USDOT to resume flights to the territory after the removal of its former president, Nicolás Maduro.
Later in January, US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy rescinded a 2019 order which barred US airlines from flying to Venezuela after President Donald Trump directed him to make the move. The decision came after talks were held between President Trump and Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
As widely reported, representatives from USDOT visited the country last week to review airport security procedures at both airports and were satisfied that the standards were adequate for international flights to resume.
The visit was part of the process required to allow commercial flights to resume to the country.
American Airlines has not yet announced a timetable for restarting flights, although the USDOT approval remains valid for two years.
American has said it will share further details about its return to service in the coming months as it works closely with the federal authorities on the necessary permissions and security assessments prior to resuming service.
It said back in January, when it first declared an interest in resuming flights, that the planned daily flights would “provide the opportunity for business, leisure and humanitarian travel.”
Nat Pieper, American’s Chief Commercial Officer, said in a statement at the time that,
“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezuelans to the US and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship. By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States.”
US travel warnings remain in place – for now
Despite the USDOT approval, the US State Department continues to advise Americans not to travel to Venezuela.
This advice has been in place since December, when tensions rose between the US and Venezuelan governments. Military operations near Venezuela had raised serious concerns about the safety of aircraft operations in that country and led to widespread airspace closures and the banning of overseas carriers from serving Caracas Airport.
About American’s routes from Miami to Venezuela
Envoy Air, the regional subsidiary that has been earmarked to operate the new services, operates a fleet of 180 Embraer 170 regional jets under the American Eagle brand.
According to Planepotters.net, each aircraft accommodates 66 passengers in a two-class configuration (12 first class and 54 in economy class).
The route between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Simon Bolivar International Airport (CCS) in Caracas is 1,360 miles (2,176 km), while the route from Miami to Maracaibo’s La Cinta International Airport (MAR) is 1,189 miles (1,902 km) – both comfortably within the Embraer E170’s maximum range of about 2,100 miles (3,360 km).
Featured image: kmm7553 / stock.adobe.com
