Lisbon, Nov. 22, 2025 (Lusa) - TAP has cancelled Monday's and Tuesday's TP170 flights to Venezuela, following information from the United States aviation authorities about the security situation in the country's airspace, the company said.
In a note sent to the Lusa news agency, TAP explained that the decision stems from information issued by the United States aviation authorities, which indicates that safety conditions in Venezuelan airspace are not guaranteed, particularly in the Maquetia flight information zone.
It added that "all passengers have been informed of the cancellation and that they may, if they wish, request a refund", regretting "the inconvenience caused" by a decision that "ensures the safety of passengers and crew".
In addition to TAP, five other airlines cancelled their flights to Venezuela today, after the United States warned civil aviation of an "increase in military activity" in connection with the deployment of US forces to the Caribbean, the president of the Venezuelan Airline Association (ALAV), Marisela de Loaiza, told the France-Presse news agency.
The group that cancelled flights to the country led by Nicolas Maduro includes, in addition to TAP, Spain's Iberia, Colombia's Avianca, Brazil's GOL and Chile's Latam, as well as Caribbean Airlines of Trinidad and Tobago, she said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning to commercial flight operators advising them to "exercise extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, due to what it considers "a potentially dangerous situation in the region".
"Operators are advised to exercise extreme caution when operating in the Maiquetía flight information region [corresponding to the airspace controlled by Venezuela, which also includes part of the southern and eastern Caribbean] at all altitudes, due to the deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in Venezuela or its surroundings," the FAA said in a statement.
"The threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, arrival and departure phases," it added, considering that airports and aircraft on the ground in that region are also at risk.
Since August, Washington has maintained a significant military presence in the area, including half a dozen warships, officially to combat drug trafficking to the United States.
In recent weeks, the United States has carried out around 20 air strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific against vessels accused, without presenting evidence, of transporting drugs, causing a total of 76 casualties.
Venezuela accuses Washington of using the pretext of drug trafficking "to impose regime change" in Caracas and seize its oil.
PAL/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
