Venezuela bans 6 major airlines after flight suspensions over US military buildup

Venezuela has barred six major international carriers from landing in the country after they failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to resume services suspended in the wake of a United States security warning. The move has stranded thousands of passengers and intensified tensions already heightened by a significant US military deployment near Venezuelan waters.

The airlines — Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca and Turkish Airlines — halted flights to the country's capital city Caracas after the US Federal Aviation Administration cautioned operators about “heightened military activity” and a worsening security situation around Venezuela. In response, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority, which functions under the transport ministry, revoked their landing and take-off permissions with immediate effect.

Accusing the carriers of aligning with Washington’s strategy, Venezuelan authorities said the suspension amounted to “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government and unilaterally suspending air commercial operations”.

US deployment raises alarm

Tensions have surged after the US deployed 15,000 troops and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford near Venezuela — the largest US military mobilisation in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama. While Washington insists the build-up is part of an intensified anti-drug trafficking campaign, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denounced it as an attempt to overthrow him.

US forces say they have carried out at least 21 strikes on boats allegedly carrying narcotics, killing more than 80 people. However, no evidence has been publicly presented to confirm whether the targeted vessels carried drugs. Analysts have noted that the scale of the deployment far exceeds what is typical for counter-narcotics operations.

Airlines caught between warnings and repercussions

Following the FAA advisory urging airlines to “exercise caution at all altitudes”, several carriers suspended flights to Maiquetía International Airport. Industry body IATA attempted to mediate, saying its member airlines were willing to resume normal operations, but the Venezuelan government remained unmoved and proceeded with the ban.

Smaller carriers continue to operate limited routes, but the grounding of larger airlines has disrupted travel plans for thousands within Venezuela and abroad.

Despite the escalating standoff, both Maduro and US President Donald Trump have recently indicated openness to dialogue. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he “might talk” to Maduro but warned, “We can do things the easy way… or the hard way.”

Maduro, meanwhile, posted a video of himself driving through Caracas pointing out Christmas decorations, apparently to project a sense of calm and normalcy.

With military manoeuvres ongoing, airlines grounded, and diplomatic rhetoric sharpening, the crisis marks one of the most volatile moments in recent US–Venezuela relations in years.