![[Credit: Wikimedia Commons]](jpg/640px-tap_air_portugal_a321neobd12.jpg?width=640&height=427)
Venezuela on Wednesday banned six international carriers from its airspace, further flaming tensions with the United States. The move comes just days after the airlines temporarily paused operations in the country, citing safety concerns after a notice of “[a] potentially hazardous situation” from the FAA.
The National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), Venezuela’s aviation authority, announced they had revoked the landing and takeoff rights of Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, GOL, LATAM, Avianca, and Turkish Airlines.
The dispute began last week when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) warning of heightened security risks in the region due to increased U.S. military activity in the Caribbean. In response, the six carriers suspended their flights to Caracas.
On Monday, Venezuelan authorities issued a strict 48-hour ultimatum demanding the resumption of services. When the airlines failed to comply, their operating permits were terminated.
Recently the U.S. government has carried out a number of strikes on Venezuelan boats that officials accuse of carrying drugs. According to the BBC, the U.S. has conducted operations against at least 21 boats, killing over 80 people.
Multiple airlines said they had no intention of cancelling flights to Venezuela outright, and wished to resume operations once safety conditions were achieved.
Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel called the decision “totally disproportionate,” but said that his country, which is home to TAP Air Portugal, hopes to see things reversed through diplomatic avenues.
“What we have to do is, through our embassy, make the Venezuelan authorities aware that this measure is disproportionate, that we have no intention of cancelling our routes to Venezuela, and that we only did this for security reasons,” he said in a statement.
Just for the writer of this piece, NOTAMs was changed to Notice to Air Missions a couple of years ago.
It was changed back under the new administration.
Thanks, I retired a year ago and havent flown since.
Air Missions sounds like Huey’s picking up the wounded in Vietnam. I’m going for “Notices to air people”.
Pilots still use “Notices to Airmen”.
In any case:
The FAA reverted NOTAM terminology to “Notice to Airmen” on February 10, 2025, via GENOT 7930.114, superseding the 2021 “Notice to Air Missions” change . This was formalized in Order 7930.2U on June 9, 2025. Current FAA policy uses “Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)”