Venezuela has banned six major international airlines from landing in the country after they failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to resume flights there.
The airlines had temporarily suspended their routes into the capital, Caracas, after the US warned of heightened military activity in the area.
Angered by this, the Venezuelan government issued the carriers with an ultimatum that expired on Wednesday. While a number of smaller airlines continue to fly to Venezuela, thousands of passengers have been affected.
The US has deployed a large force to waters off Venezuela, which it says is to combat drug trafficking but which Venezuela's leader has denounced as an attempt to overthrow him.
Venezuela's civil aviation authority announced that Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca, and Turkish Airlines would lose their landing and take-off rights immediately. They accused the airlines of joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government.\
More than 15,000 US troops and the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, have been deployed near Venezuela. This military presence is said to be aimed at combating drug trafficking, with US forces reportedly carrying out strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats.
The tension has sparked warnings from the US Federal Aviation Authority urging airlines to exercise caution due to the deteriorating security situation. Despite attempts to ease the situation, including a willingness from both Venezuelan and US officials to negotiate, flights have remained grounded amid rising fears of conflict.
