Direct commercial flights between the United States and Venezuela are set to resume on Thursday, with an American Airlines subsidiary operating the first service in seven years. The flight, AA3599 operated by Envoy Air, will depart Miami at 10:16 local time and arrive in Caracas three hours later, before returning to Florida that afternoon.
The resumption follows the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces in early January and the formal reopening of the US embassy in Caracas last month, which restored full diplomatic relations. The Trump administration has chosen to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has led cooperation on a phased plan to address Venezuela's crisis.
American Airlines has announced a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas starting 21 May. The carrier was the last US airline to serve Venezuela, suspending services in 2019 amid security concerns. Delta and United had withdrawn earlier in 2017 during a political crisis.
President Donald Trump said in late January that he had informed Rodríguez of plans to open commercial airspace, stating: 'American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there.' The airline said the flights would allow customers to reunite with families and pursue new business opportunities.
