On the orders of US President Donald Trump, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has fully reopened airspace above Venezuela, opening the way for US airlines to restart flights to the South American country.
On January 29, 2026, President Trump said he had spoken to Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, and informed her that the US would reopen commercial airspace.
A statement from the FAA later confirmed that the agency had removed “four NOTAMs in the Caribbean region, including one related to Venezuela, as well as advisories affecting airspace over Curaçao, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and the Piarco Flight Information Regions”.
In a separate social media post, the FAA said: “These NOTAMs were issued as precautionary measures and are no longer necessary. Safety remains our top priority, and we look forward to facilitating the return of regular travel between the U.S. and Venezuela.”
On November 21, 2025, the FAA issued a NOTAM warning operators of potential dangers in Venezuelan airspace.
🚨 BREAKING: @POTUS announces that he has instructed his Administration to open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 29, 2026
"American citizens will be, very shortly, able to go to Venezuela — and they'll be safe there." pic.twitter.com/6EO5jFDIV5
On January 3, 2026, the same day that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was extradited from the country by the US military, a NOTAM was issued prohibiting all civil flight operations of US aircraft in Venezuelan airspace.
The FAA lifted the restriction on January 4, 2026, replacing it with advisories warning of a potentially hazardous situation persisting in the region, akin to prior warnings that had been issued in November 2025.
Following President Trump’s direction to reopen airspace, the Department of Transportation (DoT) gave the official go-ahead for air transportation between the US and Venezuela to restart.
The FAA has removed four NOTAMs in the Caribbean region, including one related to Venezuela, as well as advisories affecting airspace over Curaçao, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and the Piarco Flight Information Regions.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 29, 2026
These NOTAMs were issued as precautionary measures and are no… https://t.co/q1cGF0kfyD
According to the DoT, air travel between the two countries was stopped on May 15, 2019 (during President Trump’s first term), “based on a public interest determination”.
At the time, the US Department of Homeland Security determined that “conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew”.
American Airlines first to respond
American Airlines was the swiftest to declare its intention to restart commercial operations to Venezuela following the decision by President Trump to ease airspace rules.
In a press release, American Airlines said it was “proud to be the first airline to announce plans to reinstate nonstop service between the US and Venezuela”.
“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” said Nat Pieper, American’s CCO. “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.”
Despite President Trump indicating it was now safe for US citizens to travel to Venezuela, the US State Department website still advises people not to travel.
American Airlines added: “The airline remains in close contact with federal authorities, and is ready to commence flights to Venezuela, pending government approval and security assessments.”