Amid reports of explosions and rising smoke in Caracas, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) imposing a complete ban on US aircraft operations in Venezuelan airspace.
According to the FAA directive, US civil and commercial aircraft are prohibited from operating at all altitudes over Venezuela with effect from 0600Z on January 3. The restriction applies to passenger flights, cargo aircraft, and general aviation.
Why did the FAA issue the NOTAM?
While the FAA has not publicly detailed the specific trigger, such airspace bans are typically imposed due to serious safety and security concerns, including:
- Reports of explosions and military activity
- Risk of misidentification or targeting of civilian aircraft
- Unstable air defence or radar conditions
- Heightened geopolitical or military escalation
The timing of the NOTAM closely follows reports from Al Jazeera, Reuters and the Associated Press about multiple explosions, low-flying aircraft sounds, and power outages in parts of Caracas, particularly near a major military base.
What is the current air traffic situation?
According to Flightradar24, there are no aircraft currently being tracked over Venezuelan airspace, indicating that airlines and operators have already begun avoiding the region.
Airlines generally respond quickly to FAA and international safety advisories by rerouting flights around restricted zones to minimise risk.
Wider geopolitical context
The airspace ban comes at a time of escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States, including:
- Ongoing US sanctions and military pressure
- Recent US strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s claims of US efforts to destabilise his government
- Reports of a possible CIA-linked operation, which Maduro has neither confirmed nor denied
In such environments, aviation authorities often act preemptively to avoid scenarios similar to past incidents where civilian aircraft were caught in conflict zones.
What happens next?
The NOTAM will remain in force until further notice, and any relaxation will depend on:
- Security assessments by US authorities
- Clarification from Venezuelan officials on the cause of the explosions
- Regional military and diplomatic developments
For now, Venezuela remains effectively off-limits to US aviation, underscoring how quickly ground-level geopolitical events can spill into global aviation safety decisions.
