The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) approved American Airlines’ request on March 4, 2026, to resume daily nonstop flights from Miami International Airport to Caracas Simón Bolívar and Maracaibo, Venezuela. This marks the first US commercial passenger service to the country since May 2019, when the DOT suspended all flights citing security risks to passengers, aircraft, and crew amid political instability.
The two-year permit, effective immediately through March 4, 2028, allows American’s wholly owned subsidiary Envoy Air to operate the routes under the American Eagle brand using Embraer E170 and E175 regional jets with 65 to 75 seats. Envoy’s fleet includes 43 E170s and 136 E175s. The approval followed validation of Venezuela’s airport security procedures by the US Transportation Security Administration the prior week.
Flights were halted in 2019 during the first Trump administration due to strained US-Venezuela relations. Service resumed possible after US military actions in January 2026 ousted Nicolás Maduro, leading President Donald Trump to direct Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to reopen airspace. Duffy rescinded the restrictions, improving bilateral ties.
American, which flew to Venezuela from 1987 to 2019 as the last US carrier after Delta and United exited in 2017, announced plans in late January. “We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” said Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper on January 29, 2026.
Venezuela holds FAA Category 2 status under the International Aviation Safety Assessment, barring new routes by US carriers pending audit resolution. No start date for flights has been specified. US travel advisory remains Level 4: Do Not Travel. Venezuelan carriers Laser Airlines and Avior Airlines have shown interest in US routes.