On November 29, 2025, President Donald Trump told airlines to treat the skies above and around Venezuela as if they were completely off limits, sharply raising concern for travelers, migrants, and airlines already wary of flying in the region. In a blunt directive shared publicly, Trump said airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers should “please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” signaling that, from the United States 🇺🇸 side, Venezuelan airspace is now seen as too risky to use or cross.
FAA NOTAM and the SVZM FIR
The warning came just days after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a security NOTAM—a Notice to Airmen, the standard system used to alert pilots to hazards—covering the Maiquetia Flight Information Region, known as SVZM FIR.
This large control area includes most of the airspace over Venezuela and stretches into the Caribbean Sea. It is often used by international flights that have nothing to do with Venezuela itself but simply pass overhead on long routes.
In its November 21, 2025 NOTAM, the FAA warned civil aircraft operators of a “significant risk” in the SVZM FIR. The agency cited:
- Increased military activity
- Air-defense systems able to reach civil aviation altitudes
- Growing cases of GPS interference that could affect navigation and safety
The NOTAM now requires all U.S. operators to give at least 72 hours’ advance notice before they plan to enter Venezuelan airspace.
“Significant risk” — the FAA’s language emphasizes unpredictable operations and hazards that could endanger civil aviation.
Practical effects on flights and routes
For travelers, migrants, and families, the technical aviation language has immediate real-world impacts.
- Fewer commercial flights to and from Venezuela
- Higher ticket prices due to longer or more complex routes
- Increased reliance on multi-leg itineraries through third countries
Many Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers already depend on routes through Latin America and Europe when direct options are scarce; each airline suspension or reroute narrows those possibilities further.
Airlines’ reactions and international advisories
Several major international carriers had already acted before Trump’s statement. Airlines including Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca, LATAM Airlines Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and GOL suspended flights to and from Venezuela or shifted routes to avoid the SVZM FIR entirely.
These decisions were driven partly by earlier U.S. and European safety alerts, which highlighted the risks linked to:
- Growing military activity
- Anti-aircraft weapon systems
- Poor coordination between regional actors
Spain and Portugal also issued advisories telling their airlines to avoid Venezuelan airspace at least until December 1, 2025, citing the same concerns.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, coordinated warnings from multiple states make it much harder for airlines to keep using a risky corridor, even if rerouting adds time and cost.
Venezuelan government response
Venezuelan authorities did not accept those changes quietly. On November 26, 2025, the Venezuelan civil aviation authority (INAC) revoked the operating permits for the airlines that had pulled out, accusing them of suspending services in response to foreign pressure.
That move:
- Deepened Venezuela’s isolation in the air
- Added strain on people who must fly for family, medical, or immigration reasons
Impact on migrants, families, and immigration processes
The growing patchwork of restrictions can hit immigration-focused travelers especially hard.
- Venezuelan citizens with consular interviews in third countries may lose affordable options overnight.
- Mixed-status families can face weeks or months of delay trying to reunite.
- Students, workers, and refugees may need to rebook through distant hubs or cancel travel plans.
The chilling effect also touches deportation and return flights. When commercial airlines stop serving a route and airspace risks rise:
- Removal flights, humanitarian returns, and resettlement transfers become harder to schedule and insure
- Long-term closure of routes can make it more difficult to leave dangerous situations or to comply with immigration orders that require departure by air
FAA security briefings — specific dangers
The FAA stressed that the danger is not theoretical. Its security briefings describe:
- Unpredictable state aircraft operations
- The possibility that military radar could misidentify civil jets
- GPS interference in a region where diversion airports are limited
If a plane needs to divert for medical or technical reasons, pilots may have far fewer safe options than on other busy intercontinental routes.
Current U.S. restrictions on airspace and detailed NOTAMs for conflict zones are listed on the FAA’s website for international operations, including its page on U.S. airspace restrictions and special notices.
Travel planning and regional pressures
For immigration-focused travelers, planning trips involving Venezuela now requires even more care. People may need to:
- Route through airports in neighboring states that still accept flights to and from Venezuelan cities
- Use connections that circle well north or south of the SVZM FIR
- Factor in additional visa requirements, layovers, and transit difficulties
At the same time, neighboring countries may see extra pressure on their airport systems and land borders as traffic avoids Venezuelan airspace.
Airlines, insurance, and resumption of service
Some airline officials quietly note that once security agencies publicly label an airspace as high risk, major carriers are unlikely to be the first to resume operations, even after advisories expire.
Key factors include:
- Past tragedies where civilian jets were caught in military actions
- Rising insurance premiums
- Crew safety concerns
- Legal and financial risk calculations by airline executives
Often, the potential gains of flying into or over a tense zone do not outweigh the human and legal costs.
Human stories and consequences
Human stories sit behind each policy step. Examples include:
- A Venezuelan engineer with temporary protection in Europe trying to bring elderly parents out may face extra layovers and visa checks to avoid the restricted FIR.
- A student with a study permit abroad might miss a semester because remaining flights require transits in countries with difficult visa rules.
These examples show how aviation safety decisions quickly spill into the migration and family unity space.
Key takeaways
- Trump’s sweeping statement, the FAA’s NOTAM (November 21, 2025), and European advisories together have made Venezuelan airspace effectively high risk for many operators.
- The combined effect is fewer routes, higher costs, more complex itineraries, and longer delays for migrants, students, workers, and families.
- As more airlines treat Venezuelan skies as closed—even for overflights—the air becomes an additional barrier for people trying to move between countries.
On Nov. 29, 2025, President Trump urged airlines to avoid Venezuelan airspace after an FAA NOTAM warned of significant risks in the SVZM FIR, including increased military activity, air-defense reach, and GPS interference. The FAA requires U.S. operators to give 72 hours’ notice. Major carriers suspended flights and Venezuela’s INAC revoked permits, shrinking routes, raising costs, and complicating travel for migrants, students, families, and humanitarian operations.
