The Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines against flying over Venezuela, urging them to “exercise caution” due to the “potentially dangerous situation” in the region.
The advisory comes as the US has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean under the leadership of the US Southern Command, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of a wide-ranging campaign targeting drug trafficking and so-called ‘narco-terrorist’ networks operating near Venezuela.
“Operators are advised to exercise caution when operating in the Maiquetia Flight Information Area at all altitudes due to the deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela,” the spokesperson said. FAA advisory said.
“Threats may 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,” it added, asking airlines to notify the FAA at least 72 hours in advance if they plan to fly through the area.
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Members of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Guard stand in formation as they conduct an increased security patrol along Lake Maracaibo, amid rising tensions between Venezuela and the US, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on October 26, 2025. (Isaac Urrutia/Reuters)
Direct flights by U.S. passenger and cargo carriers to Venezuela have been suspended since 2019, but some airlines still fly over the country on their South American routes. to Reuters.
It added that American Airlines said Friday it stopped flying over Venezuela in October, while Delta Air Lines said it stopped flying “a while ago.”
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A Venezuelan Navy coast guard boat operates off the Caribbean coast on September 11, 2025. (Juan Carlos Hernández/Reuters)
“Since September 2025, there has been an increase in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference in the Maiquetia Flight Information Region (SVZM FIR), as well as activities related to Venezuela’s increasing military readiness,” the spokesperson said. FAA said that too.
“Some civil aircraft recently reported GNSS interference while passing the SVZM FIR, in some cases causing lingering effects during flight. GNSS jammers and spoofers can affect aircraft up to 250 nautical miles and can affect a wide range of critical communications, navigation, surveillance and safety equipment on aircraft,” the FAA continued.
The USS Gravely, a warship of the United States Navy, will depart Port of Spain on October 30, 2025. The warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on October 26, 2025 for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington increased pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. (Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)
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“In addition, since early September, Venezuela has conducted multiple military exercises and directed the mass mobilization of thousands of military and reserve troops. While Venezuela has not at any time expressed any intention to focus on civil aviation, the Venezuelan military has advanced combat aircraft and multiple weapon systems capable of reaching or exceeding the operational altitudes of civilian aircraft, as well as the potential low-altitude risk from man-portable air defense systems and anti-aircraft guns,” it also warned.
