FAA Issues New Warning on Flying Over Venezuela Amid Rising Risks

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new alert urging all pilots to exercise caution when flying over Venezuelan airspace due to a worsening security situation and an increase in military activity around the country.

According to the agency, unspecified threats in the region could pose risks to aircraft at all altitudes, including planes taking off, landing, or parked on the ground. The notice underscores growing instability as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In recent months, the U.S. military has increased its presence near Venezuela, conducting bomber flights along the country’s coast—sometimes practicing simulated attack scenarios—and deploying the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and multiple destroyers to the region. This buildup represents one of the largest U.S. military assemblies in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela in decades. Washington does not recognize Maduro, who faces U.S. narcoterrorism charges, as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

The administration has also expanded its anti-drug operations, carrying out strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that it says were transporting narcotics to the U.S. More than 80 people have been killed since the campaign began in early September.

Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, said the FAA commonly issues such notices during periods of military tension but emphasized that pilots should take the alert seriously. She noted the warning does not necessarily indicate an imminent attack. Instead, it may reflect concerns about potential Venezuelan military activity or additional U.S. operations targeting drug-trafficking vessels.

The Pentagon referred questions about the advisory to the FAA, which confirmed the notice and said it will remain in effect for 90 days.


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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, apnews.com