The Venezuelan government on Wednesday imposed sanctions on six international air carriers, including Turkish Airlines, that had suspended their operations to Caracas.
The other affected airlines — Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile and Brazil’s LATAM and Brazil’s GOL — will have their operating permits revoked for “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government and unilaterally suspending air commercial operations,” the civil aviation authority said in an Instagram post.
Turkish Airlines announced a temporary suspension of its flights to Venezuela on Sunday.
Washington had warned of increased military activity in the Caribbean amid a deployment to target narcotics operations, which Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro insists is intended to overthrow his government.
Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration urged civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”
Washington has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and other Navy warships as well as stealth aircraft to the region — deployments it says are aimed at curbing drug trafficking but which have sparked fears in Caracas that regime change is the goal.
The Venezuelan Ministry of Transport gave a 48-hour deadline to the six companies on Monday to resume flights. The deadline expired at noon Wednesday. All maintained the suspension.
Turkish Airlines had expanded its service to Venezuela in recent years as part of its global network growth.
The flight suspension has so far affected more than 8,000 passengers on at least 40 different flights, according to data from the Venezuelan Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (AVAVIT).
Credits: Turkish Airlines
