Commercial air travel between the United States and Venezuela resumed Thursday, as the first direct flight in seven years departed Miami for Caracas following the lifting of long-standing restrictions. Flight AA3599, operated by Envoy Air, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, left Miami shortly after 10 am local time and was scheduled to arrive in Caracas about three hours later before returning to Florida later in the day.
The route marks the first direct commercial connection between the two countries since the US Department of Homeland Security suspended flights indefinitely over security concerns. Passengers boarded the inaugural flight from Miami International Airport, where American Airlines staff handed out small Venezuelan flags and decorated the departure gate with yellow, blue, and red balloons matching Venezuela’s flag and national colors.
“I’m very excited to go and see the family and I’m looking forward to see the country,” passenger Lennart Ochoa said before departure. He added that he was “ready to go” and purchased a ticket as soon as flights became available, he told NBC Miami.
American Airlines said travelers on the inaugural weekend would receive themed onboard meals. “Through the inaugural weekend, customers will enjoy a special Venezuelan menu on board, including cachapas, ensalada de gallina and a Venezuelan chocolate candy bar,” the airline said in a news release.
The return of commercial service follows major changes in US-Venezuela relations this year, including the US capture of Nicolás Maduro during an overnight operation at his residence in Caracas in January. The resumption also comes after the US formally reopened its embassy in Caracas last month following the restoration of full diplomatic relations.
In late January, President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela’s commercial airspace would reopen to American travelers. "American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.
American Airlines also confirmed a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will begin on May 21.
The flights restore nonstop travel between the countries for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019. In recent years, travelers had to rely on connecting routes through other Latin American countries.
American Airlines was the final US carrier still serving Venezuela before suspending its Miami-Caracas and Miami-Maracaibo routes in 2019. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines exited the Venezuelan market in 2017 amid the country’s political crisis.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava attended the departure and highlighted the route’s significance for local residents.
“Parents will be able to connect with children, grandparents with grandchildren, and entire families with a home that shaped and raised them,” Levine Cava said. “Miami-Dade is home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States.”
The route marks the first direct commercial connection between the two countries since the US Department of Homeland Security suspended flights indefinitely over security concerns. Passengers boarded the inaugural flight from Miami International Airport, where American Airlines staff handed out small Venezuelan flags and decorated the departure gate with yellow, blue, and red balloons matching Venezuela’s flag and national colors.
“I’m very excited to go and see the family and I’m looking forward to see the country,” passenger Lennart Ochoa said before departure. He added that he was “ready to go” and purchased a ticket as soon as flights became available, he told NBC Miami.
American Airlines said travelers on the inaugural weekend would receive themed onboard meals. “Through the inaugural weekend, customers will enjoy a special Venezuelan menu on board, including cachapas, ensalada de gallina and a Venezuelan chocolate candy bar,” the airline said in a news release.
The return of commercial service follows major changes in US-Venezuela relations this year, including the US capture of Nicolás Maduro during an overnight operation at his residence in Caracas in January. The resumption also comes after the US formally reopened its embassy in Caracas last month following the restoration of full diplomatic relations.
In late January, President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela’s commercial airspace would reopen to American travelers. "American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.
American Airlines also confirmed a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will begin on May 21.
The flights restore nonstop travel between the countries for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019. In recent years, travelers had to rely on connecting routes through other Latin American countries.
American Airlines was the final US carrier still serving Venezuela before suspending its Miami-Caracas and Miami-Maracaibo routes in 2019. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines exited the Venezuelan market in 2017 amid the country’s political crisis.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava attended the departure and highlighted the route’s significance for local residents.
“Parents will be able to connect with children, grandparents with grandchildren, and entire families with a home that shaped and raised them,” Levine Cava said. “Miami-Dade is home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States.”
