US-Venezuela passenger flights set to resume after 7-year pause

Regular passenger flights between the US and Venezuela are set to resume on Thursday after a seven-year suspension, according to Flightradar24 News.

The first flight, operated by American Airlines, is scheduled to depart from Miami and land at Maiquetia International Airport near Caracas on April 30, restoring a key air link between the two countries. The airline plans to operate daily service initially and increase frequencies later in May.

The resumption follows the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the US and the subsequent easing of some aviation restrictions on Venezuela.

Cargo flights have already resumed in recent weeks, with airlines including SkyLease Cargo and Cargojet Airways operating services to Caracas.

American Airlines will use Embraer 175 aircraft configured to carry 76 passengers. At its peak, the carrier operated about 10 daily flights to Venezuela from multiple US cities, according to Flightradar24 news.

Venezuela-based Laser Airlines is also planning to launch Miami-Caracas services in May using leased Airbus A320 aircraft. However, Venezuelan carriers remain barred from operating their own aircraft to the US due to their FAA Category 2 safety rating.

Caracas is currently connected to several destinations across Latin America and Europe, with the restored US route expected to expand travel options further.