Overview
- Six carriers — Iberia, TAP, LATAM, Avianca, GOL and Caribbean Airlines — suspended Venezuela flights on Saturday, according to ALAV’s Marisela de Loaiza, with no timeline for resumption.
- The FAA cited a deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in or near Venezuela and urged crews to exercise caution when transiting the airspace.
- The agency reported growing satellite navigation disruptions around Caracas’s Maiquetía airport and noted Venezuelan military capabilities, including air defenses and portable systems, that could threaten civil aviation.
- U.S. naval and air assets have been reinforced in the region, including the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, while U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats since September have caused dozens of deaths, with some reports citing at least 83.
- Reuters, citing unnamed officials, reported preparations for a new phase of U.S. operations that could begin with covert actions, while President Nicolás Maduro rejects the U.S. accusations and alleges efforts to remove him.