Venezuela exempts five countries from travel ban

Venezuela has extended the closure of its international airports until February 11, 2021, except for commercial flights from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Turkey, and Iran. The extension came into effect on November 11, 2020, and was announced by the country’s civil aviation authority (Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil – INAC) in a NOTAM. The listed countries were excluded because of their “sister” status with Venezuela, the INAC statement read. The ruling affects the following airports: Caracas Simón Bolivar, Maracaibo, Porlamar, Barcelona José Antonio Anzoategui, Barquisimeto, Valencia Arturo Michelena Int’l, Las Piedras, San Antonio del Táchira, Santo Domingo Buenaventura Vivas, Puerto Ordaz/Ciudad Guayana, Maturín, and Charallave. According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Venezuelan airlines Avior Airlines (9V, Barcelona José Antonio Anzoategui), Conviasa (V0, Caracas Simón Bolivar), and Laser Airlines (QL, Caracas Simón Bolivar) are operating domestic schedules as well as flights to Santo Domingo La Isabela in the Dominican Republic. Venezuela’s international borders have been closed since March because of COVID-19, except for humanitarian flights. President Nicolas Maduro in September announced that international commercial flights to the listed countries would resume by December, news reports said. Domestic flights in Venezuela remained restricted, except for flights to Los Roques, an archipelago of islands off the Venezuelan coast.