The Spanish airline Iberia has halted its planned operations to Venezuela following a warning from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging aircraft flying in Venezuelan airspace to exercise “maximum caution.” Company sources stated that flights to Venezuela have been temporarily canceled and that the situation will be reassessed to determine when flights will resume. Iberia’s first flight had been scheduled for Monday, November 24.
The FAA’s warning noted that safety conditions at all altitudes in the Maiquetía Flight Information Region (SVZM FIR) have deteriorated and that risks have increased due to heightened military activity around Venezuela. The agency also reported that incidents of electronic interference in the area have risen since September and that, given the capabilities of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, civil flights could theoretically become targets.
Some aircraft reportedly experienced GNSS (satellite navigation) interference while in Venezuelan airspace, causing serious navigation and communication disruptions that persisted throughout the flights. The FAA indicated that GNSS jamming and spoofing systems can affect areas up to 250 nautical miles, potentially causing significant disruptions to critical avionics systems.
In light of these developments, Iberia announced that it will continue to assess safety conditions and wait for circumstances to stabilize before resuming flights.
