suspensions

Dec. 5 (UPI) — Venezuela is facing severe air isolation after four more airlines joined earlier safety-related flight suspensions announced by several carriers. That follows a U.S. government advisory warning of potential risks in Venezuelan airspace amid a growing military buildup in the Caribbean.

Copa Airlines was the first to announce Wednesday night that it would suspend routes to Venezuela because of “intermittent navigation signals” reported by its pilots. The company said the issue did not endanger flights, but it halted operations as a precaution and extended the suspension through Dec. 12.

On Thursday, Colombia’s Satena and Boliviana de Aviación announced suspensions. Both airlines said their crews detected failures and interference in satellite navigation systems on routes to Venezuela.

Satena said it recorded “interference” on flights to the Venezuelan city of Valencia and that those conditions posed “an operational risk.” Boliviana de Aviación halted service after receiving reports of instability in navigation signals.

Colombian carrier Wingo also halted its service. Like Copa, the carrier initially announced a 48-hour pause, but has now extended the suspension of flights at least through Dec. 12.

Iberia, Air Europa, Plus Ultra, TAP Portugal, Avianca, GOL, LATAM Colombia and Turkish Airlines already suspended flights to Venezuela after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a security alert Nov. 24.

The agency urged airlines to “exercise extreme caution” when operating in Venezuela because of increased military activity in the southern Caribbean. European agencies issued similar advisories.

Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aviation initially said the suspensions were made “in coordination” with the carriers and that it expected operations to resume within 48 hours. However, the airlines decided to continue suspensions as they continue to evaluate the risks.

Venezuela’s government responded by revoking several airlines’ operating licenses, saying they had “joined acts of state terrorism promoted by the United States.” The move means an immediate loss of traffic rights, effectively barring those carriers from the country indefinitely.

On Thursday, Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía was operating with a minimal number of flights.

Only 11 arrivals and departures were scheduled, most operated by Venezuelan airlines to nearby destinations such as Bogotá, Colombia, Curaçao and Havana, Cuba. Screens also showed multiple cancellations, including six Copa flights and several from Wingo.

Geopolitical tensions between Venezuela and the United States have triggered a crisis in the air travel market, with cancellations and operational disruptions since late November, leaving more than 15,000 people stranded, unable to leave or return to Venezuela as they seek alternative routes, Panama’s La Prensa reported.

Peter Cerdá, vice president of the International Air Transport Association for the Americas, said in an interview the situation is a delicate and unfortunate because airlines have had to make critical decisions that affect passengers, cargo and their profitability.

He said Venezuela’s connectivity, which was already limited compared with other countries in the region, is deteriorating further with the new suspensions.

Business owners in Venezuela’s La Guaira state warned that the drop in flights is delaying the arrival of imported goods, raising costs and potentially causing temporary shortages.

The International Civil Aviation Organization noted that countries control their own airspace but said each airline defines its operations based on its risk assessments.

President Nicolás Maduro’s government accuses Washington of “aggression” and says it has reinforced air defenses around the Maiquetía airport.