{"id":252618,"date":"2026-04-30T16:04:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/252618\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T16:04:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:04:07","slug":"american-airlines-resumes-flights-from-miami-to-venezuela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/252618\/","title":{"rendered":"American Airlines Resumes Flights from Miami to Venezuela"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tVenezuelans gather in Doral after the U.S. capture of President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro on January 3, 2026.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg<\/p>\n

The first commercial flight between the U.S. and Venezuela<\/a> took off Thursday morning from Miami International Airport after a seven-year ban over security concerns.<\/p>\n

The flight is the first of a new daily schedule for American Airlines, the first U.S. airline to resume flights to the country following the U.S. removal of President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a> in January. The Department of Homeland Security\u00a0suspended<\/a>\u00a0all commercial flights to Venezuela in May 2019, citing \u201cthe ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated inadvertent risk to flight operations.\u201d<\/p>\n

The airline applied to restart service to Caracas on February 13,\u00a0USA Today reported<\/a>. American wrote in its filing that approval \u201cwill further President Trump\u2019s goal of reopening air service to Venezuela and serve the public interest by providing an opportunity for business, leisure, and humanitarian travel to the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

The airline held a ceremony to mark the milestone.<\/p>\n

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A direct flight from the US to Venezuela takes off from Miami this morning\u2014the first since 2019.<\/p>\n

In true Miami fashion, it\u2019s a party at the gate. US and Venezuelan officials are touting this flight as a symbol of normalized relations between the two countries post-Maduro pic.twitter.com\/8EkRWE7swM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) April 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAmerican\u2019s Miami hub is the preeminent U.S. gateway to Latin America, and our service to Venezuela is a key part of our history and our future,\u201d the airline\u2019s chief commercial officer, Nat Pieper, said in a statement announcing the move earlier this month. \u201cOur commitment to connecting Venezuela with the U.S. spans more than 30 years, and we look forward to the new opportunities for commerce and strengthened ties with family and friends that our service will provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nate Gatten, American\u2019s executive vice president of American Eagle, corporate real estate and government affairs, added that the company is \u201cencouraged\u201d by the progress it has made with the American and Venezuelan governments. He added: \u201cWe are grateful for the efforts of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the entire administration to help us reconnect the U.S. with Venezuela. Our return wouldn\u2019t be possible without this strong partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

While news of resumed flights will likely excite many in South Florida (the biggest hub in the U.S. for Venezuelan immigrants), travelers may be turned off by the prices. Round-trip flights for the next several months start at $884. Panamanian flag carrier Copa Airlines also flies from Miami to Caracas, with prices starting at $1,292.<\/p>\n

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