American Airlines now selling Miami to Caracas tickets after 7-year pause as U.S. and Venezuela ties shift
American Airlines announced Monday flights between Miami and Caracas are now available to purchase for the first time since 2019, marking a significant step in the normalization of U.S.-Venezuela relations following the January capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces.
The airline is now selling tickets for daily nonstop service set to launch April 30, according to a company announcement. Flights will be operated by Envoy, an American Airlines subsidiary, using Embraer 175 dual-class aircraft.
American Airlines operated in Venezuela from 1987 until March 2019, when it suspended service over safety concerns after the U.S. Department of State issued warnings about crime and the detention of American citizens. The airline was the last major U.S. carrier to fly to Venezuela.
Tickets for the revived route are now available on aa.com and the airline's mobile app. According to the airline's website, roundtrip tickets for the April 30 launch start seem to have sold out as the date is no longer available. Main class roundtrip tickets range approximately between $1,500 and $2,000 throughout May, with Business class tickets selling between $3,000 and $3,900 during those dates.
The flight schedule is as follows:
- MIA to CCS: Departs 10:16 a.m. ET, arrives 1:36 p.m. ET
- CCS to MIA: Departs 2:40 p.m. ET, arrives 6:13 p.m. ET
Both legs will be operated with the Embraer 175 aircraft.
A shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations after Maduro's capture
The flight resumption follows a dramatic shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations.
On Jan. 3, U.S. Army Delta Force operatives captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a pre-dawn raid on Caracas. Maduro was flown to New York to face narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges, effectively ending his nearly 13-year stint in power.
In the aftermath of the capture, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would temporarily "run the country" until a transition could be completed. Then Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's handpicked successor, condemned the capture as an "illegal and illegitimate kidnapping" but subsequently entered into dialogue with Washington.
The breakthrough for commercial aviation came on Jan. 29, when Mr. Trump announced after a phone conversation with Rodriguez that U.S. commercial airspace over Venezuela would be reopened. The U.S. Department of Transportation subsequently rescinded a 2019 order that had suspended U.S. air carriers from flying to Venezuela.
Despite the change, the Department of State maintains a Level 3 travel advisory urging Americans to reconsider travel to Venezuela due to risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism and poor health infrastructure.
American Airlines is the first U.S. carrier to restore service to Venezuela. Other major U.S. carriers have not yet announced or launched routes back.