AESA sources confirmed to EFE the publication of a new “high recommendation” for civilian operators not to fly over the FIR (areas into which airspace is divided) in Maiquetia, which provides service to Caracas until December 31.
Sources from Spain’s director of air navigation, Enaire, the body that provides information services to operators, also confirmed the publication of the new alert.
The new notice (“notam” in aviation parlance) from AESA comes after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA, in its English acronym) warned last Saturday of the risks of working in Venezuela until next January 31.
Iberia wants to resume flights when there are ‘full safety guarantees’
According to Iberia sources, its intention is to resume flights to Venezuela “as soon as full security guarantees are restored.”
The Spanish airline, part of the IAG group, offers affected customers the possibility to change their flights to another date or another nearby destination or request a refund of the ticket price.
Iberia was the first Spanish carrier to announce the suspension until December 31 following the new notice from AESA, although Air Europe had already announced last weekend that it had canceled the two flights (one round trip) scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday.
Plus Ultra monitors the situation
Plus Ultra, the other airline flying from Spain directly to Caracas, continues to monitor the situation, airline sources told EFE.
Meanwhile, at Madrid Barajas Airport, dozens of passengers are still stuck waiting for a flight to Venezuela, with connections to other capitals, especially Colombia, so they can then continue their journey to Caracas. Inna sources told EFE that the Red Cross is helping these passengers.
At the end of last week, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, said on his account on the social media network “Truth” that Venezuelan airspace would remain “completely” closed.
But the airspace is not closed, which falls exclusively on the Venezuelan authorities, as USCA spokeswoman Susana Romero explained to the media.
RML (EFE, Reuters)