In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump has announced the reopening of commercial airspace over Venezuela, effectively ending years of flight restrictions between the two nations.
This move comes in the wake of direct discussions with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. These talks took place several weeks after a U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
President Trump has expressed intentions to “manage” Venezuela, hinting at potential U.S. involvement in the country’s oil industry. However, the long-term implications of these plans remain uncertain.
“We’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump announced. He assured that “American citizens will soon be able to travel to Venezuela safely.”
Trump directed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, along with U.S. military officials, to remove the restrictions by the end of the day.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed the removal of several airspace advisories, stating that they are no longer needed.
American Airlines announced plans to resume flights, becoming the first US carrier to move toward restoring direct service.
Trump described the security situation in Venezuela as “under very strong control”, while the State Department continued to warn Americans against travelling to the country.
Venezuela’s government did not immediately comment.
Why flights were grounded for years
Commercial air travel between the United States and Venezuela effectively stopped in 2019 after diplomatic relations collapsed amid Venezuela’s political and economic crisis deepening.
At the time, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it was suspending “all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela” indefinitely.
“This determination is based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated inadvertent risk to flight operations,” DHS said in its 2019 statement, citing concerns for the safety of passengers, crew and aircraft.
The State Department also advised US citizens in Venezuela to leave the country if they could do so safely, “via any available means”.
The suspension coincided with intensified pressure from Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who publicly sought US assistance while calling for fresh elections.
Guaidó, recognised by the United States and more than 50 other countries as Venezuela’s legitimate interim president, pursued new strategies for political change as nationwide protests lost momentum and the US refused to rule out military action.
American Airlines said Thursday it would share additional details about restarting service in the coming months as it works with federal authorities on security assessments and required permissions.
“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezuelans to the US, and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” said Nat Pieper, American’s chief commercial officer.
Diplomatic signals beyond aviation
The airspace decision reflects broader efforts by the Trump administration to restore diplomatic engagement with Venezuela after years of severed ties.
Earlier this week, the State Department told Congress it was moving towards reopening the US embassy in Caracas, sending a growing contingent of temporary staff to carry out “select” diplomatic functions.
Despite Trump’s assurances on travel safety, the State Department has kept its highest-level travel advisory in place, warning Americans: “Do not travel,” citing risks including wrongful detention, torture and kidnapping. The department did not immediately respond to questions about whether the advisory would change.
Trump has also linked the reopening of airspace to renewed US commercial interest in Venezuela’s energy sector.
During a cabinet meeting, he said US oil companies were “going to Venezuela now, scouting it out and picking their locations”, without providing further details.
While the White House has said oil companies are eager to pursue new opportunities in Venezuela following Maduro’s removal, some in the industry have continued to express reservations about investing money and resources in the country.
US, Venezuela make reforms to encourage US investment
In an effort to encourage US investment, the White House eased some sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry on Thursday, after Venezuelan lawmakers passed reforms paving the way for US companies to return.
Within an hour of lawmakers in Caracas voting to open the oil industry to private investment, the US Treasury Department issued a general license allowing US companies to trade with state oil firm PDVSA.
The activities authorised include the refining of oil, the license said. However, the authorisation excludes firms from nations such as China and Russia, Reuters has reported.
The reform adopted by Venezuelan lawmakers paves the way for the return of US energy majors, two decades after Hugo Chavez seized foreign oil fields.
It modifies a law dating to 2006 that forced foreign investors to form joint ventures with Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, which insisted on a majority stake.
Venezuela sits on about a fifth of the world’s oil reserves.
It was once a major crude supplier to the United States, and multiple American firms operated in the country until 2007, when Chavez led a new wave of nationalisations.
— With additional reporting by Reuters and Agence France-Press.
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