Two U.S. Airlines Banned from Flying to Venezuela

Venezuela has banned US airlines Continental and Delta from flying into Caracas from next week, in a move that will allow President Hugo Chavez to distance his country from the US literally as well as politically.

American Airlines, the third and most frequent U.S. carrier serving Venezuela, will see its service severely restricted from March 1, when the ban comes into effect, the National Aviation Institute (INAC) said.

INAC president Francisco Plaz said the measure was being put into effect because an existing 10-year-old ban that blocks Venezuela from expanding its own air services to the US had not been lifted in spite of numerous requests. “US authorities have failed to give Venezuelan airlines the rights they deserve in line with bilateral accords,” Mr. Plaz said. “All avenues have been exhausted.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Venezuela´s security rating in 1995. During the past three years the international airport serving Caracas has undergone a streamlining program.

In the short term, the ban on US carriers would appear to be good news for other airlines, such as Colombia´s Avianca, which will be able to offer connections to those travelers trying attempting to reach the U.S.