Six airlines cancel Venezuela flights after US warning

AFP | Caracas

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Six airlines cancelled flights to Venezuela on Saturday, an industry group said, after the US aviation regulator warned of dangers from "heightened military activity" amid a major buildup of American forces in the region.

Spain's Iberia, Portugal's TAP, Chile's LATAM, Colombia's Avianca, Brazil's GOL and Trinidad and Tobago's Caribbean have suspended their flights to the country, said Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV).

She did not specify how long the flight suspensions would last. Panama's Copa Airlines, Spain's Air Europa and PlusUltra, Turkish Airlines, and Venezuela's LASER are continuing to operate flights for now.

The US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday urged civilian aircraft in Venezuelan airspace to "exercise caution" due to the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela."

"Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/ or airports and aircraft on the ground," it said.

Washington has sent an aircraft carrier strike group, other Navy warships as well as stealth aircraft to the region -- deployments it says are aimed at curbing drug trafficking but which have sparked fears in Caracas that regime change is the goal. A US terrorism designation takes effect Monday for a drug cartel allegedly headed by leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro -- a move that some believe could presage military action against his government.