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American Airlines will resume nonstop flights to Venezuela after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) approved the airline’s request on Wednesday, making it the first U.S. airline to restore service between the two countries since 2019.
The approval follows the president Donald TrumpThe January directive to reopen commercial airspace over Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order banning U.S. civilian flight operations in the country’s airspace. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later rescinded the order at the president’s direction.
Trump asked the DOT to lift the restrictions after a conversation with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez.
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American Airlines will resume nonstop service between Miami and Venezuela after the U.S. Department of Transportation approved the airline’s request on March 4, 2026. This is the first time a US airline has since restored flights to the country. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The Transportation Security Administration was in Caracas last week to review security procedures at the airport, a necessary step for flights to resume, sources told Reuters.
The airline announced at the end of January that it would reconnect with Venezuela, just weeks after the US carried out attacks in the country and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“We have more than three decades of history connecting Venezuelanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” American Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper said in a statement at the time. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will provide customers with the opportunity to reunite with their families and create new business and trade with the United States.”
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The U.S. Department of Transportation approved American Airlines’ request to operate flights to Caracas and Maracaibo, Venezuela, following the lifting of a years-long restriction on U.S. airlines. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
American started in Venezuela in 1987 and was the country’s largest U.S. carrier before suspending all air service in 2019.
The DOT said the order is valid for two years.
An American Airlines passenger plane is parked at a gate at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on August 24, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP/Getty Images)
In December, the State Department added Venezuela to its “Do Not Travel” advisory list, which remains in effect.
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