Less than a month after a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 landed in Venezuela amid tensions with the US, a major international carrier, Turkish Airlines (TK), has suspended flights to Venezuela. This has come after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cautioned about elevated security risks and military activity over Venezuelan airspace, and its words specifically in context of the US-Venezuelan airspace quoted in the CBS “threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, arrival and departure phases, and/or aircraft on the ground.”
According to Daily Sabah, Turkish Airlines has specifically cancelled its Istanbul–Caracas services from 24 November to 28 November 2025. CBS also quoted the president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV) as having said that carriers such as Iberia (from Spain), TAP Air Portugal, LATAM (from Chile), GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A (from Brazil) and Avianca (from Columbia) have suspended their flights to the country.
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Airlines Suspending Venezuela Services
| Airline | Suspension Type | Duration / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines | Temporary | Istanbul–Caracas flights canceled 24–28 Nov 2025 |
| TAP Air Portugal | For Saturday and next Tuesday | The company was quoted in Reuters as having said that the decision followed ” information issued by the United States aviation authorities, which indicates that safety conditions in Venezuelan airspace are not guaranteed“. |
| Iberia |
|
As quoted in Reuters, the airlines’ spokesperson said that Iberia “will assess the situation to decide when to resume flights to that country“ |
| LATAM | Indefinite suspension | cancelation of Sunday’s flight to Bogota |
| Avianca | Indefinite suspension | A source of the airline told EFE that it had canceled “today’s flights due to operational adjustments and are evaluating the situation like all airlines,” |
| GOL | Indefinite suspension | As per ALAV |
| Caribbean Airlines | Indefinite suspension | Per ALAV |
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What triggered the cancellations?
On 21 November 2025, the FAA issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) for Venezuela’s Maiquetía Flight Information Region (SVZM FIR), warning pilots of increased military activity, elevated security risks, and potential interference with navigation systems.
“These threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, arrival and departure phases, and operations at airports or while on the ground. Refer to the Background Information Notice for additional details on threat concerns for U.S. civil aviation operations…Operators should provide at least 72 hours’ advance notice of planned flights to the FAA….”
According to President Donald Trump, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is the “global terrorist leader of the Cartel de los Soles” and has “increased its reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro to $50m“.Al Jazeera said that the US campaign against Venezuela “violates both international and US domestic law“.
According to Türkiye Today, Turkish confirmed that the affected flights include the following:
- TK223/224 on Nov. 26 and 28
- TK183 on Nov. 24, TK195 on Nov. 25 and 27
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. military has, in addition to simulating bomber flights up to the coast of Venezuela, killed over 80 people since the campaign began more than a couple of months ago. It also has:
- Conducted a series of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
- Sent USS Gerald R. Ford, a US aircraft carrier into the region
- Simulated an attack
The same publication also said:
“The Ford aircraft carrier and several destroyers were just the latest addition to the largest U.S. force assembled in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela in generations. The Trump administration does not see Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S., as the legitimate leader of the South American country.”
Despite the series of attacks carried outby the USA, CBS reports that the nation with the greatest aviation force in the world, is yet to “release concrete evidence that the vessels it targeted were used to smuggle drugs or posed a threat to the country“. The same publication laid out the following information about US’ military presence into the region:
| Category | Details | Quantity / Assets |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Troop Presence | Troops deployed in the region | ~15,000 |
| U.S. Naval Presence – Western Atlantic | Total ships | 4 |
| Aircraft carriers | 1 – USS Gerald R. Ford | |
| Guided missile destroyers | 3 | |
| U.S. Naval Presence – Caribbean | Total ships | 7 |
| Guided missile destroyers | 2 | |
| Guided missile cruisers | 2 | |
| Amphibious assault ship | 1 | |
| Amphibious transport dock ships | 2 |
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There are vocal dissenting voices, though
President Nicolás Maduro denounced the U.S. military buildup in the region, depicting Washington’s actions as aggressive and threatening to Venezuela’s sovereignty. Many people in the America First movement have also denounced President Trump’s campaign into Venezuela, and see as if not an extension of, a lingering part of its meddling into the “forever wars”.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro sharply criticized the flight suspensions, stating:
“there must be regular flights to all Latin American countries and from Latin America and the world….Countries are not blocked, because blocking countries means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity.”