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Caracas touchdown after 7 years
The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela landed in Caracas on Thursday, ending a seven-year suspension imposed by the US Department of Homeland Security over security concerns.
“Flight AA3599, operated by Envoy Air, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, departed Miami at 10:11am ET (14:11 GMT)”
Al Jazeera reported that Flight AA3599, operated by Envoy Air, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, departed Miami at 10:11am ET (14:11 GMT) and arrived in the Venezuelan capital roughly three hours later, with a return to Florida later in the day.
Euronews similarly said the Miami-Caracas flight reopened the direct route after years of suspension due to political tensions and air restrictions, and it described the landing as the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in nearly seven years.
Ouest-France put the date as Thursday, April 30, 2026, and said the plane landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, near Caracas, after departing Miami in the morning.
The Washington Post described the same milestone from Miami, saying the American Airlines check-in counter displayed the name of a destination “just three hours across the Caribbean: Caracas.”
Multiple outlets also described the celebratory reception on the ground, with RTVE.es saying the American Airlines plane was greeted with cheers, Venezuelan flags, and arepas and tequeños, and DW saying two fire trucks hosed down the airplane on the tarmac in celebration.
In Caracas, ABC said the AA3599 flight was greeted with a grand ceremony by the fire department with a water salute to mark the airline’s return, and it added that the route reopened after seven years of absence.
Who flew and what was planned
The flight’s operational details and the people aboard were central to the reopening narrative.
Al Jazeera said the aircraft was an Embraer E175 regional jet with a capacity for about 75 passengers, and it reported that the airline said a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas would start on May 21.
Euronews described the flight as lasting about three hours and said it was operated by American Airlines, while Fortuneo and La Vanguardia both described the service as part of a gradual normalization process that followed the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the restoration of diplomatic relations.
Ouest-France said the Envoy Air flight 3599 departed from Miami in the morning and landed at 1:15 p.m. local time (5:15 p.m. GMT), citing an AFP journalist, and it described the tarmac water-spraying tradition carried out by two fire trucks.
DW added that the flight carried US National Energy Dominance Council Jarrod Agen, along with several other passengers, and it said Agen was set to meet with Venezuelan officials and representatives from the energy and mining industries as part of Washington’s efforts to help US companies enter the South American market.
RTVE.es said the plane was not at full capacity and that it took off around 10:11 a.m., while it also described the return flight to Miami later that day and said the route would operate with daily frequency between the two airports through May 20, increasing to two flights per day from May 21.
ABC reported that American Airlines would operate the Caracas–Miami direct route with flights operated by its subsidiary Envoy, using Embraer 175 aircraft with a capacity of 100 passengers, and it said the frequency would be two daily flights.
Officials and passengers react
The reopening was accompanied by statements from US officials and local leaders, along with reactions from passengers and travel intermediaries.
“Flights between Miami and Caracas have resumed”
Al Jazeera quoted the US State Department posted on X saying, “For nearly seven years, there were no direct commercial flights between the United States and Venezuela. Under President Trump, we are changing that today. Flights between Miami and Caracas have resumed,” and it also quoted US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy saying, “Today is about more than just another flight, it’s a critical milestone in strengthening the United States relationship with Venezuela and unleashing economic opportunity in both countries.”
Fortuneo described the US State Department’s travel posture, saying the State Department advises American nationals not to travel to Venezuela, a country rated Level 3 on a 4-point scale, due to risks related to crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and inadequate health infrastructure, and it cited a travel advisory dated March 19.
DW included passenger quotes, with Lennart Ochoa telling the Associated Press shortly before boarding, “Just to go and see the family on a direct flight from Miami to Caracas is priceless,” and it said Isabel Parra, a travel agent originally from Venezuela, was “super excited” and described having to go through Curacao, the Dominican Republic or Bogota.
ABC and RTVE.es both described the ceremonial atmosphere, with ABC saying passengers descended the stairs carrying small banners and with RTVE.es saying the plane was greeted with arepas and tequeños and that passengers celebrated before takeoff.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told Al Jazeera before departure, “Parents will be able to reconnect with children, grandparents with grandchildren, and families with the place they once called home,” and it added, “Miami-Dade is home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States.”
Independent en Español added more passenger perspective, quoting Oscar Fuentes saying, 'I am saving a lot of stress and fatigue.' and quoting Lilibeth Torres saying she was 'very excited' because previously she had to travel via Cúcuta (Colombia) and always take connecting flights.
Different outlets, different emphases
While the core event was consistent, the outlets framed it through different lenses, from aviation logistics to diplomacy and energy deals.
Al Jazeera emphasized the end of the seven-year suspension and tied the resumption to a broader shift in US-Venezuela relations, saying it came months after Washington’s January operation that led to the abduction of former President Nicolas Maduro, and it described the flight as the first direct air link since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019.
Euronews similarly described the flight as a step in re-establishing air links after a suspension imposed in 2019 amid political tensions and security concerns, and it highlighted that passengers celebrated the possibility of returning without stopovers.
Ouest-France focused on the date and the ceremonial mechanics, saying the plane was sprayed with water on the tarmac by two fire trucks and placing the landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.
DW foregrounded the diplomatic and security context by linking the flight to the end of Venezuela’s years-long isolation by the United States, and it included a quote from Trump in which he said, “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they'll be safe there.”
RTVE.es added a food-and-ceremony angle, saying passengers were greeted with arepas and tequeños and describing the route’s schedule through May 20 and the increase to two flights per day from May 21.
Meanwhile, La Vanguardia and ABC both tied the flight to the normalization of relations and to the energy and mining agenda, with ABC describing a high-level United States delegation planned to arrive in Caracas led by Jarrod Agen and with La Vanguardia describing that the flight came after milestones including the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the reopening of the embassy.
Sanctions, energy deals, next steps
The reopening of flights was presented as part of a wider sequence of diplomatic and economic steps, with energy and mining agreements featuring prominently in multiple reports.
“the Venezuelan Minister of Transport, Jacqueline Faria”
Euronews said a delegation from the White House arrived on the flight, accompanied by US businessmen, to advance economic and cooperation agreements in sectors such as energy, oil and gas, and it named Venezuelan and US officials on the tarmac, including the Venezuelan Minister of Transport, Jacqueline Faria; the Deputy Foreign Minister, Oliver Blanco; and the US Chargé d'Affaires, John Barrett.
RTVE.es described ceremonies at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas tied to two new energy agreements, saying representatives from U.S. companies Overseas Oil Company and Crossover Energy Holding attended, and it quoted Delcy Rodríguez saying she wanted to celebrate and emphasize that the agreements were “definitely the path for bilateral relations.”
Fortuneo said that since the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January, the United States and the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez agreed to restore diplomatic relations broken in 2019, and it said the U.S. embassy in Caracas resumed operations at the end of March while Venezuela took possession of its embassy in Washington again.
Al Jazeera described high ticket prices and strict US visa requirements as barriers, citing return fares for early May starting at more than $1,200 and dropping to just more than $1,000 later in the month, and it compared those fares to flights via Bogota that typically range from $390 to $900 round-trip.
At the same time, Fortuneo and Independent en Español both stressed that the State Department continued to warn Americans to reconsider travel to Venezuela, with Fortuneo citing a Level 3 rating and Independent en Español saying the State Department continues to warn Americans to avoid travel to Venezuela even as the government authorized American Airlines to begin scheduling flights.
Looking ahead, Al Jazeera said more flights are expected in the coming months, and it quoted Duffy praising American Airlines for restoring a route he described as vital, while Al Jazeera also said the second daily flight would start on May 21.
