In early December 2025, the last remaining foreign airlines serving Venezuela abruptly halted their flights, effectively severing the country’s remaining international air links. Panama’s Copa Airlines and its low-cost affiliate Wingo suspended their Caracas routes on December 4 and 5, citing intermittent problems with a navigation signal that had affected recent flights.

Colombia’s state-owned Satena also stopped flying to Valencia, Venezuela’s third-largest city, and Bolivia’s flag carrier Boliviana de Aviación cancelled its Caracas service. These four carriers were the final international airlines still operating in Venezuela, and their withdrawal means no foreign airline is currently flying to the country.

TL;DR

  • Copa, Wingo, Satena and Boliviana de Aviación suspended flights, leaving no foreign airlines operating in Venezuela.
  • FAA issued a special warning citing hazardous conditions, military activity and GNSS signal interference.
  • Trump administration declared Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety” to civilian overflights.
  • Venezuela retaliated by revoking permits for six airlines, worsening isolation.
  • Only a handful of Venezuelan carriers now fly abroad, with limited reliability and ongoing safety risks.
  • Travelers face severe restrictions, rerouted flights, overland risks, and uncertain timelines for service restoration.

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Why are airlines halting flights?

The wave of suspensions comes amid escalating safety concerns in Venezuelan airspace and heightened geopolitical tensions. On November 21, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a special 90-day air safety warning advising that a “potentially hazardous situation” exists for flights in or around Venezuela.

The FAA cited deteriorating security conditions and increased military activity – a reference to a massive buildup of U.S. naval and air forces in the Southern Caribbean near Venezuela.

Pilots have also reported disruptions to satellite-based navigation systems (GNSS) when flying through Venezuelan airspace, likely due to deliberate signal interference or jamming. In fact, since September several civilian aircraft transiting the region experienced GNSS outages, with effects sometimes persisting well beyond Venezuelan airspace.

In late November, the FAA warned that such threats “could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground”.

In this context, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration took the extraordinary step of declaring Venezuela’s airspace completely off-limits. On December 1, Trump announced that Venezuelan airspace was “closed in its entirety” to civilian flights. (U.S. airlines have actually been banned from flying to Venezuela since 2019 , but the new warning and Trump’s decree sent a strong signal to other carriers in the region.)

Copa, Wingo, Satena and Boliviana initially kept flying through the first round of warnings, but they ultimately “took the preventive decision” to suspend services after experiencing the navigation signal issues firsthand.

Several major airlines had already pulled out in the days prior – including Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Latin America’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca, Brazil’s GOL, and even Caribbean Airlines of Trinidad & Tobago – following the FAA’s advisory about unsafe conditions.

By early December, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority retaliated by revoking the operating permits of six airlines that halted flights (such as Iberia, Avianca, LATAM Colombia and Turkish Airlines), accusing them of joining “actions of state terrorism” promoted by the United States. The result is a near-total collapse of international commercial air service in Venezuela due to these safety fears and political tensions.

Venezuela’s air travel isolation

For a country that was already increasingly isolated, the cessation of foreign airline services is a significant blow. With Copa, Wingo, and others gone, no international carriers are currently flying to Venezuela.

This leaves only a handful of Venezuelan national airlines maintaining very limited overseas routes – a fragile lifeline for connectivity. Venezuela’s state-owned Conviasa and several private local airlines (such as Avior, Estelar, Laser and Turpial) continue to operate flights to a few regional destinations, including neighboring Colombia, Panama, and the Caribbean island of Curaçao.

Those carriers insist that operations are “proceeding with absolute normalcy” despite the turmoil. However, the reliability and safety of these remaining routes are far from guaranteed.

The same airspace risks flagged by international regulators would ostensibly affect any flight in Venezuelan skies, regardless of the airline. Furthermore, foreign airports or aviation authorities may impose their own restrictions on Venezuelan carriers if the security situation worsens.

The loss of international airline service also means far fewer travel options and greater uncertainty for anyone attempting to reach Venezuela. Travelers who previously could book seats on well-known international carriers must now rely on Venezuelan airlines (some of which are subject to U.S. sanctions) or attempt convoluted journeys through third countries.

Even transit flights that once routinely crossed Venezuelan airspace are now being re-routed to avoid it, which can lead to longer flight times across northern South America. Overall, Venezuela has suddenly become one of the most isolated air travel markets in the world, with extremely limited connectivity to the outside.

Impact on travelers and routes

The abrupt flight cancellations have stranded or upended plans for many passengers, especially members of Venezuela’s vast diaspora who were hoping to visit family during the December holidays.

The timing could not be worse – this time of year is normally a peak travel period for Venezuelans abroad returning home. Now those plans have been derailed, with “many people sharing their concerns over the cancellation of these flights” and fears of being unable to reunite with loved ones.

Some travelers who were already in Venezuela are now scrambling to find a way back out, while others abroad are reluctantly postponing trips. These cancellations “dealt a blow” to Venezuelans who must now live with “so much uncertainty” about when and how they can next travel.

For travelers still determined to reach (or depart) Venezuela, the options are few and fraught with difficulties. Overland travel has become the backup plan for some, albeit a risky journey in itself.

Those in Venezuela may face long bus trips through unstable areas to reach airports in neighboring countries like Colombia or Brazil, in order to catch onward flights. Indeed, the current situation “complicate[s] travel plans, especially for those in Venezuela who may have to undertake risky overland journeys” to get around the flight suspensions.

There are also implications for air routes elsewhere in the region. Airlines that normally would overfly Venezuelan territory have had to adjust their flight paths to avoid the country’s airspace, adding to flight times and fuel costs.

This could result in occasional schedule delays or longer routes for passengers on certain flights connecting North and South America. Pilots operating near Venezuelan airspace have been advised to exercise extreme caution due to the heightened military activity in the area. In sum, Venezuela’s skies have effectively become a no-go zone for most carriers – and a potential hazard that risk-aware travelers will seek to avoid.

Is it still safe to fly to or via Venezuela?

Given the current situation, travel experts strongly advise against flying to Venezuela, or even transiting through Venezuelan airspace, until safety can be assured.

Multiple international warnings remain in effect, and carriers have demonstrated by their mass exit that they are not confident in the security of Venezuela’s airspace right now.

While Venezuelan authorities have downplayed the risks and urged airlines to resume service, the facts on the ground – from navigation signal interference to military tensions – indicate that flying there involves elevated danger.

If you absolutely must travel to Venezuela, plan very carefully and be prepared for sudden changes. Consider the following precautions for any essential trip:

  • Route through a neighboring country: Fly into a nearby hub such as Bogotá or Panama City, then enter Venezuela via land or on one of the few local flights. (Keep in mind that even local flights could be canceled with little notice.)
  • Stay informed and in contact: Remain in close communication with your airline and monitor official travel advisories continuously for updates. Flight schedules may change rapidly given the volatile situation.
  • Have backup plans: Coordinate your journey with family, friends or contacts on the ground, and have a contingency plan for lodging or alternative transport in case your return route is disrupted.
  • Avoid Venezuelan airspace altogether: If you are flying elsewhere in the region, try to book routes that do not pass through Venezuelan airspace. Even overflights carry some risk under the present circumstances.

In short, until the situation improves, flying directly into Venezuela (or using its skies as a transit corridor) is a risky proposition. Travelers concerned with safety would do well to steer clear of this airspace for the time being and seek alternate routes to their destinations.

Outlook

It remains unclear when international flights to Venezuela might resume. Some airlines have signaled they would return if and when they deem it safe – for instance, Spain’s Iberia said it hopes to restart Caracas flights once “full safety conditions” are met.

However, as long as political tensions run high and military posturing continues, those safety conditions may remain elusive. The U.S. FAA’s current warning for Venezuelan airspace extends into early 2026 , and unless it is lifted or the security situation stabilizes, airlines are likely to stay away. In the meantime, Venezuela’s isolation will continue to pose serious challenges for travelers and businesses.

The country’s few remaining air links hang by a thread, and would-be visitors or returning Venezuelans face difficult journeys ahead. Until normal commercial air service can be restored, anyone planning to fly to or through Venezuela should remain vigilant, stay informed, and be ready to change course at a moment’s notice.

FAQ

Q1. Why did the last foreign airlines stop flying to Venezuela?
Because of airspace safety concerns, including GNSS interference, FAA hazard warnings, and rising military activity in the region.

Q2. Which airlines suspended their Venezuela routes?
Copa Airlines, Wingo, Satena, and Boliviana de Aviación, which were the last foreign carriers still serving the country.

Q3. Is any foreign airline flying to Venezuela right now?
No. As of early December 2025, no foreign airline operates flights to or from Venezuela.

Q4. What is causing the GNSS and navigation disruptions?
Authorities suspect deliberate signal interference or jamming within or near Venezuelan airspace.

Q5. How did the United States influence the situation?
The FAA issued a strong safety advisory, and the Trump administration declared Venezuelan airspace entirely off limits for civilian flights.

Q6. Did Venezuela respond to the airline suspensions?
Yes. Venezuela revoked operating permits for six carriers, accusing them of participating in state terrorism.

Q7. Are Venezuelan airlines still flying internationally?
A few, such as Conviasa, Avior, Estelar, Laser, and Turpial, operate limited regional routes, though reliability varies.

Q8. Is it safe to fly to or over Venezuela right now?
Travel experts widely advise against it due to airspace hazards, military tension, and frequent navigation disruptions.

Q9. How can travelers reach Venezuela if flights are suspended?
Some travelers enter through neighboring countries and then continue overland or on limited local flights, although this can be risky.

Q10. When might international flights resume?
It is unclear. Airlines say they will return only after safety conditions improve, but current FAA warnings extend into early 2026.