A direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela is set to arrive in Caracas on Thursday, marking the first such journey in seven years since the US Department of Homeland Security imposed an indefinite suspension over security concerns.
This resumption of air travel follows the dramatic U.S capture of Nicolás Maduro during a nighttime raid on his Caracas residence in early January.
It also coincides with the formal reopening of the U.S embassy in Caracas last month, which saw the full restoration of diplomatic relations with the South American nation.
Flight AA3599, operated by Envoy Air, an American Airlines subsidiary, was scheduled to depart Miami at 10.16am local time, arriving in the Venezuelan capital three hours later before returning to Florida that afternoon.
The airline has also announced plans for a second daily service between Miami and Caracas, commencing on 21 May.
Earlier, the airline said a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will start on May 21.
In late January, U.S President Donald Trump said he informed Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez that he would open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela, allowing Americans to visit.
“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.
The flights mark the resumption of nonstop travel between the U.S. and Venezuela for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019.
For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighboring Latin American countries.
In January, when the airline announced the resumption of flights it said it would give customers the opportunity to reunite with families and pursue new business opportunities.
American Airlines was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela. It suspended flights in 2019 between Miami and Caracas, as well as flights to the oil hub city of Maracaibo.
Delta and United Airlines pulled out in 2017 amid a political crisis that forced millions to flee the country.
The Trump administration stunned Venezuelans by choosing to work with Rodríguez following Maduro’s ouster, instead of the country’s political opposition.
She has since led cooperation with the administration’s phased plan to end Venezuela’s complex crisis, pitching her oil-rich nation to international investors and opening its energy sector to private capital and international arbitration.
Rodríguez has also replaced senior officials, including Maduro’s faithful defense minister and attorney general.
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