The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years landed in Caracas on Thursday, after the US Department of Homeland Security indefinitely suspended operations in 2019 citing security risks.
Operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, the flight departed Miami at 10:26 a.m. (14:26 GMT) and arrived at Caracas about three hours later. At Miami International Airport, American staff handed passengers small Venezuelan flags and the gate was decorated with balloons in Venezuela’s red, yellow and blue. On arrival at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, two fire trucks gave the aircraft a water-cannon salute.
The flight comes months after US forces captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in a nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas in early January, and about a month after the US formally reopened its embassy in Caracas as Washington resumed full diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
Among the passengers was Jarrod Agen of the US National Energy Dominance Council. Agen is expected to meet Venezuelan officials and representatives from the energy and mining sectors as part of US efforts to help American companies enter the South American market. American Airlines previously said it would add a second direct Miami–Caracas flight starting May 21.
Passengers described excitement and relief at the new direct service. “I’m very excited to go and see the family, and I’m looking forward to see the country,” passenger Lennart Ochoa told the Associated Press, saying he bought his ticket as soon as it was available. Travel agent Isabel Parra, who had not returned to Venezuela since 2018, called it “super excited,” noting that travelers had previously routed through Curaçao, the Dominican Republic or Bogotá.
The resumption of direct flights symbolizes an end to years of isolation between the two countries. In late January, US President Donald Trump said he would open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela, allowing Americans to visit. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” he said.
For the past seven years, passengers relied on international carriers and indirect routes through neighboring Latin American countries. When American Airlines announced the resumption of service in January, it highlighted the chance for customers to reunite with family and pursue new business opportunities. Edited by: Zac Crellin