American Airlines said Thursday that it is working to resume daily nonstop service to Venezuela after a nearly seven-year pause.
The carrier said it is in close contact with federal authorities and is ready to restart service pending “government approval and security assessments.”
American last served Venezuela in 2019. At the time, it was the largest U.S. carrier operating in the country.
“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” American COO Nat Pieper said in a statement. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States.”
Relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have been especially fraught over the last several years. The U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security suspended passenger and cargo flights to the country in May 2019, citing risks to customers, air crews, and aircraft.
Earlier this month, U.S. military and law enforcement personnel entered Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and wife, who had been indicted in the Southern District of New York for alleged drug trafficking and “narcoterrorism.” They remain detained in New York, awaiting trial.
While tensions remain high, the Trump administration has signaled that it may take limited steps to normalize relations with Venezuela now that Maduro is gone, including possibly reopening an embassy.
