Venezuelans trying to get home now face a new obstacle: There are barely any planes left to fly them there. After the US announced it wanted traffic barred in the skies of Venezuela over security concerns, more than a dozen foreign airlines halted service to the country. That's left the nation of 28 million dependent on roughly 20 aging commercial aircraft run by a few little-known domestic carriers, which are scrambling to reroute passengers through nearby countries at sharply higher prices, per the Wall Street Journal. Weekly traffic in and out of Venezuela has fallen from about 15,000 passengers to as low as 1,000, according to International Air Transport Association estimates.
Washington's move followed an FAA warning about a "potentially hazardous situation" tied to a military buildup near Venezuela and was reinforced by a reported near-collision between a JetBlue flight and a US Air Force refueling plane near Curacao. Airlines, worried about being mistaken for military aircraft amid GPS and radar interference, have cut routes rather than risk an incident. "Every time there's some geopolitical problem, it's always this industry that's first to take the hit," says aviation lawyer Rodolfo Ruiz, who noted that ordinary travelers end up bearing the cost.
For Venezuelans abroad, the impact is immediate and personal: canceled holidays, missed family reunions, and complicated detours through third countries. One touring rock musician described sleeping on an office floor in Madrid to save money after his direct flight was scrapped, eventually paying for a circuitous route via Barbados to get home for Christmas.
Inside Venezuela, the disruption is also delaying vital cargo, including pharmaceuticals and aircraft parts needed to keep local fleets flying. President Nicolas Maduro's government portrays the air restrictions as part of a broader US campaign to take control of Caracas' oil riches. Officials have ordered national carriers to maintain service, punished some foreign airlines that pulled out, and promised to open alternative routes. Per CNN, Venezuela's military equipment could use an upgrade as well, as much of it hails from the Soviet era.
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