The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved American Airlines’ request to restart daily nonstop flights from Miami International to Caracas Simón Bolivar and Maracaibo for the first time since 2019, when an order barred US carriers from flying to the South American country.

The permit is valid for two years and was granted after the US Transportation Security Administration validated Venezuela’s airport security procedures the previous week, a step needed for the flights to resume.

Venezuela remains assessed as a Category 2 country under FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA), which prevents US carriers from adding new flights. The FAA audit is independent of the DOT approval and TSA checks.

American Airlines did not provide information on when it would resume its Venezuela routes. In a previous announcement, it said it had a history of over three decades connecting the two countries, and that restarting services would renew the relationship and “offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce.”

The flights to Caracas and Maracaibo will be operated by American’s wholly owned subsidiary Envoy Air (MQ, Dallas/Fort Worth), using its Embraer fleet. ch-aviation fleets data shows that Envoy operates forty-three E170s and 136 E175s, all under the American Eagle brand.

The United States and Venezuela resumed relations after a US military-led ousting of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026.