The air connection between Madrid and Caracas was interrupted on Monday after a cascade of cancellations by various international and Venezuelan airlines.
The decision, which immediately affects thousands of passengers, comes at a time of growing geopolitical tension, fuelled by the designation of the so-called Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist group and by warnings from the US government about air safety in the region.
On Monday, Spanish airline Air Europa announced the suspension of its flights to Venezuela until "conditions are adequate", according to company sources quoted by local media. Estelar and LASER also confirmed the suspension and rescheduling of their routes between the two countries, a decision that adds to the measures previously taken by Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam, Gol, Caribbean Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
According to Estelar, flights on the Caracas-Madrid-Caracas route for 24, 26 and 28 November have been cancelled for "operational reasons" linked to its Spanish airline provider, Iberojet.
LASER, for its part, communicated via Instagram that it would reschedule its flights between Caracas and Madrid from this Monday until Thursday, also for "operational reasons", without offering further details.
Warnings from Washington over 'worsening security'
Over the weekend, other international airlines had already adopted similar measures following the alert issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA warning, issued last Friday, urged pilots to exercise extreme caution due to the "worsening security situation and increased military activity" around Venezuela. According to the US agency, these threats could pose a risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including planes taking off, landing or even remaining on the ground.
The president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV), Marisela de Loaiza, confirmed that the suspensions will affect companies such as TAP, Latam, Avianca, Iberia, Gol and Caribbean indefinitely, while Turkish Airlines announced on Sunday a suspension between 24 and 28 November.
Hundreds of travellers affected
The situation has also caused disruption in other countries in the region. In Colombia, around 1,500 travellers were affected by airlines such as Latam and Avianca cancelling flights from Bogotá to Caracas.
The state-run Civil Aeronautics explained that these companies took autonomous decisions to protect the safety of their passengers, while others, such as Satena and Wingo, have maintained their regular operations.
The Colombian authority said that it had reinforced its surveillance and air control capacities and called a meeting with airlines and regional authorities to evaluate mitigation measures.
In Madrid, Barajas Airport cancelled all scheduled flights to Venezuela on Monday, a measure that particularly affects Iberia, which operates five flights a week.
With air traffic disrupted and hundreds of passengers seeking alternatives, the crisis in Venezuelan airspace is already being felt in terminals across the region, highlighting the growing impact of military and diplomatic tensions between Washington and Caracas.