American Airlines Plans to Resume US Flights to Venezuela After Trump Moves to Open Airspace

American Airlines flights stage at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as the Trump administration warns of impending cuts to commercial airline operations more than a month into the continuing U.S. government shutdown in Arlington, Virginia, on Nov. 7, 2025. Nathan Howard/Reuters

WASHINGTON—American Airlines said on Thursday it planned to resume  services to Venezuela for the first time in more than six years pending government approval and subject to security assessments, just weeks after the U.S. ‍military seized the country’s leader.

Late Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ‍rescinded a 2019 order that barred U.S. airlines from flying to Venezuela, after President Donald Trump directed him to make the move. In his directive, Duffy said “the continued suspension of air service ‌is no longer required by the public interest.”