For the first time in seven years, a direct commercial flight has departed from Miami to Caracas. The flight is operated by American Airlines, the first U.S. carrier authorized to resume service to Venezuela.
Following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military intervention in January, Washington agreed with interim president Delcy Rodríguez to restore diplomatic relations, which had been severed in 2019.
The U.S. embassy in Caracas reopened in late March, while Venezuela reassigned its representative in Washington.
President Donald Trump is gradually easing sanctions against Venezuela. Caracas, for its part, has reformed its hydrocarbon and mining laws to open the door to private investment in a country that possesses the world’s largest oil reserves.
However, the State Department advises U.S. citizens against traveling to Venezuela, a country classified as Level 3 on a scale of 4, “due to risks related to crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure,” according to its latest travel advisory, dated March 19.
American Airlines plans to operate Embraer 175 commercial aircraft between Miami and Caracas through its subsidiary, Envoy Air.
Initially, there will be one daily round-trip flight, with a second daily flight planned to begin on May 21, according to the airline.
Miami and its surrounding areas are home to a significant Venezuelan diaspora community.
Envoy Air submitted an application on February 13 to resume service between Miami and Caracas, which was approved by the U.S. government in March.
The authorization, which also includes flights to the city of Maracaibo, is valid for two years.
American Airlines began service to Venezuela in 1987 and claimed to be the largest U.S. airline operating in the country before suspending flights in 2019.
To commemorate the event, members of the media and representatives from the State and Transportation Departments, the City of Miami, and the airlines, as well as the Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States, Félix Plasencia, were invited to gate D55 on Thursday morning.
Departure is scheduled for 10:16 a.m. local time (2:16 p.m. GMT), and arrival at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, which serves Caracas, is expected at 1:36 p.m. local time (5:36 p.m. GMT).
