Venezuela revokes airline permits as flight suspensions spark diplomatic backlash

Venezuela has stripped six foreign airlines of their operating rights after they suspended flights to the country amid rising tensions with the United States, a move foreign officials have criticised as “disproportionate”.

On Wednesday, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority announced it had revoked permits for Iberia, TAP, Avianca, GOL, Turkish Airlines and LATAM, accusing them of joining “actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States”.

The decision follows growing anxiety in Caracas over a potential US military escalation. Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” in Venezuelan airspace due to “worsening security situation and heightened military activity”, prompting several carriers to pause operations.

Foreign governments quickly pushed back. Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said Lisbon would formally protest the move, stressing the suspensions were purely based on safety concerns.

“What we have to do is, through our embassy, make the Venezuelan authorities aware that this measure is disproportionate, that we have no intention of cancelling our routes to Venezuela, and that we only did this for security reasons,” he said.

Relations between Washington and Caracas have deteriorated sharply since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Trump administration has overseen a major military buildup in the Caribbean, citing the fight against drug trafficking.

Maduro has framed the deployment as preparation for a US-led attack, responding with heightened military readiness and nationalist rhetoric.

The US, which does not recognise Maduro as the legitimate president, has backed Venezuela’s opposition and cited alleged human rights abuses by his government. Since September, US forces have carried out at least 21 lethal strikes on vessels accused of transporting drugs, killing an estimated 83 people, actions widely described by legal experts as extrajudicial killings.

Faced with the FAA warning, airlines halted flights out of caution. But Venezuela’s response was blunt. Authorities gave carriers 48 hours to resume services or lose their permits.

“Keep your planes, and we will keep our dignity,” said Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

An anonymous Iberia source told AFP the airline hoped to resume flights “as soon as possible, as soon as full security conditions are met”, but stressed it could not operate in high-risk areas.