FAA warns airlines against flying over Venezuela due to security risks

The Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines against flying over Venezuela, issuing an advisory urging them to “exercise caution” due to the “potentially dangerous situation” in the region.

The notice comes as the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of a broader campaign targeting drug trafficking and so-called “narcoterrorist” networks operating near Venezuela.

“Operators are advised to exercise caution when operating in the Maiquetia Flight Information Region at all altitudes due to the deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela,” the statement said. According to an FAA advisory.

“The 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 added, asking airlines to provide at least 72 hours’ notice to the FAA if they plan to fly over the area.

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Members of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Guard stand in formation as they conduct an enhanced security patrol along Lake Maracaibo, amid growing tensions between Venezuela and the United States, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, October 26, 2025. (Isaac Urrutia/Reuters)

Direct flights from U.S. passenger and cargo carriers to Venezuela have been suspended since 2019, but some airlines still fly over the country on their South American routes, according to to Reuters.

American Airlines said Friday it stopped flights over Venezuela in October, while Delta Air Lines said it stopped “some time ago.”

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A Venezuelan Navy coast guard boat operates off the Caribbean coast on September 11, 2025. (Juan Carlos Hernández/Reuters)

“Since September 2025, there has been an increase in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference in the Maiquetia Flight Information Region (SVZM FIR), as well as activity associated with Venezuela’s increased military readiness,” the statement said. The FAA also said.

“Some civil aircraft have recently reported GNSS interference while transiting the SVZM FIR, which in some cases has caused persistent effects throughout the flight. GNSS jammers and spoofers can affect aircraft up to 250 nautical miles away and can impact a wide variety of critical communications, navigation, surveillance, and security equipment on board aircraft,” the FAA continued.

The USS Gravely, a US Navy warship, departs Port of Spain on October 30, 2025. The warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on October 26, 2025 for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington stepped up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. (Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)

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“Additionally, since early September, Venezuela has conducted several military exercises and led the massive mobilization of thousands of military and reserve forces. Although Venezuela has at no time expressed its intention to target civil aviation, the Venezuelan military has advanced combat aircraft and multiple weapon systems capable of reaching or exceeding the operational altitudes of civilian aircraft, as well as the potential low-altitude risk of man-portable air defense systems and anti-aircraft artillery,” he also said. warned.

Morgan Phillips of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.