The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years is set to land on Thursday in Caracas, marking a major step toward restoring ties after the US Department of Homeland Security imposed an indefinite suspension over security concerns.
The resumption follows the dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by US forces during a late-night raid at his residence in the capital earlier in January. It also comes about a month after Washington formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, signalling the return of full diplomatic relations.
Flight AA3599, operated by Envoy Air—a regional subsidiary of American Airlines—was scheduled to depart Miami at 10:16 a.m. local time and arrive in Caracas roughly after three hours, before returning to Florida later that day. The airline has also announced plans to introduce a second daily Miami–Caracas service starting May 21.
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Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he had informed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, that all commercial airspace over the country would be reopened, allowing Americans to travel there safely.
The renewed service marks the first nonstop flights between the two countries since diplomatic relations were cut in 2019. Over the past seven years, travelers had to rely on indirect routes via other Latin American nations.
When announcing the restart in January, the airline said the move would help reunite families and create new business opportunities. American Airlines had been the last US carrier operating in Venezuela before suspending its Miami–Caracas route, along with flights to the oil hub of Maracaibo, in 2019. Earlier, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines had already withdrawn in 2017 amid a deepening political and economic crisis that forced millions of Venezuelans to leave the country.
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