Venezuela to Hold Back Ban on U.S. Airline Service

Travelers with tickets to fly on U.S. carriers to Venezuela can rest assured, at least for four more weeks.

The Venezuelan government said it will wait until at least March 30 to impose restrictions on U.S. airline service to its country, including its plan to ban all Delta and Continental service and limit American service to three daily flights out of Miami.

Venezuela´s Civil Aviation Authority, which had announced February 23 it planned to implement the restrictions March 1, said it will use the extra time to try to find a resolution for the issues that led to its retaliatory plan.

Venezuela is upset about long-standing U.S. restrictions on Venezuelan carrier service to the U.S.

Those restrictions are based on the Federal Aviation Administration´s determination in 1996 that Venezuela´s aviation system did not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards.

The FAA placed Venezuela in what it calls “Category 2” status, where it has remained despite efforts to convince the FAA it now meets the standards and should be upgraded to “Category 1.”

Many countries bristle at the FAA´s program to judge and categorize the safety of their aviation systems. In its latest statement, Venezuela complained it remains under restriction even though it now meets 89 percent of ICAO´s standards and recommendations.