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Venezuela has warned international airlines that suspended flights to the country that they will lose their operating permits if they do not resume service within the government’s declared deadline, as several carriers, including Turkish Airlines (THY), halted operations following a new U.S. airspace warning.
According to Spain’s EFE news agency, the Venezuelan Transport Ministry said the 48-hour period granted to airlines that suspended flights will expire at 12 noon local time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday.
The deadline was delivered during a Monday meeting with airline representatives.
Companies that fail to restart flights within the specified timeframe “will have their flight permits to Venezuela revoked,” the ministry said.
A ministry source told EFE: “The Venezuelan state has taken a stand with the airlines and will take the corresponding actions. They have less than 24 hours left.”
THY suspended its flights to Caracas for four days after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning about increased military activity and security risks in Venezuelan airspace.
THY said its Caracas flights scheduled for Nov. 24–28, 2025, have been canceled.
The airline said flights from Istanbul to Havana will continue as planned, and passengers affected by the Caracas cancellations will be rerouted through Bogota, Panama, Cancun, Mexico City or Havana.
The FAA issued a NOTAM covering Venezuela’s Maiquetia Flight Information Region, warning airlines of heightened risks due to “increased military activity.”
Following the NOTAM, several international carriers, including LATAM, TAP, Iberia, Avianca, GOL and Caribbean Airlines, suspended flights to Venezuela indefinitely.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated in recent months.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez accused the U.S. of issuing threats against Venezuela, calling it “one of the most destructive empires in human history.”
He said Caracas would respond “with its head held high.”
U.S.–Venezuela friction intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump in August ordered a military deployment in the Caribbean to target drug cartels and alleged trafficking routes linked to the Maduro government.
Caracas denies the U.S. justification, saying the actions are intended to pursue regime change.
Since September, the U.S. military has conducted 21 strikes on vessels it said were carrying drugs, killing 83 people; actions critics say are illegal.
Trump has also signaled he may target alleged drug-trafficking sites on Venezuelan territory.
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