Spain’s flag-carrier Iberia woke up on 27 November to the news that the Venezuelan government had formally annulled its permit to fly the Madrid–Caracas route. The measure, published overnight in Venezuela’s official gazette, came 48 hours after Caracas threatened to punish airlines that suspended operations following U.S. and Spanish security warnings about rising military activity in Venezuelan airspace.
Iberia grounded its daily service on 25 November after both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Spain’s Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) issued notices urging carriers to avoid Venezuelan airspace until at least 1 December. Two other Spanish airlines—Air Europa and Plus Ultra—also halted flights, but only Iberia’s concession was withdrawn because, according to Venezuela’s transport ministry, it had “aligned itself with actions of State terrorism promoted by the United States.” The revocation affects some 36 weekly frequencies across the three Spanish carriers and is estimated by IATA to have disrupted journeys for roughly 6,000 passengers in the first week alone.
![Venezuela Revokes Iberia’s Caracas Permit, Leaving 6,000 Spain-Bound Passengers Stranded]()
Although Venezuela accounts for a small fraction of Iberia’s long-haul revenue, the airline’s Latin-American network is its most profitable segment and a key component of the Madrid hub strategy of parent group IAG. Industry analysts note that losing the Caracas leg complicates cargo links for Spanish exporters of pharmaceuticals and perishables, while global mobility managers must now scramble to reroute business travellers and expatriate assignees through third-country hubs such as Bogotá, Santo Domingo or Panama City. The situation also raises insurance costs for companies with staff in Venezuela and underscores the geopolitical risk premium attached to the Andean region.
From a labour-mobility perspective, the suspension is a blow to the roughly 200,000 Venezuelans who hold residence permits in Spain and rely on direct flights for family reunification and remittance trips. Immigration lawyers warn that rebooking through stop-overs may trigger Schengen-transit visa requirements for Venezuelan nationals, adding red tape and cost at short notice. Employers with work-permit holders posted in Caracas are being advised to activate contingency policies, including remote-work arrangements or temporary redeployment to Spain-based project teams.
Iberia’s management said it is “keen to resume service as soon as full safety conditions are restored,” but aviation diplomats doubt that will happen before early 2026. The carrier must first regain its Venezuelan concession—no simple feat given the political temperature—and then secure fresh insurance cover for crew and equipment. In the interim, travellers face longer itineraries, higher fares and potential bottlenecks during the Christmas peak. Multinationals with stakes in both countries are lobbying Madrid to open a bilateral aviation dialogue, yet few expect a quick fix. As one mobility director at an Ibex-35 energy group put it, “Caracas just fell off our preferred-routing map overnight, and we have to rethink talent rotations for 2026.”
Iberia grounded its daily service on 25 November after both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Spain’s Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) issued notices urging carriers to avoid Venezuelan airspace until at least 1 December. Two other Spanish airlines—Air Europa and Plus Ultra—also halted flights, but only Iberia’s concession was withdrawn because, according to Venezuela’s transport ministry, it had “aligned itself with actions of State terrorism promoted by the United States.” The revocation affects some 36 weekly frequencies across the three Spanish carriers and is estimated by IATA to have disrupted journeys for roughly 6,000 passengers in the first week alone.
Although Venezuela accounts for a small fraction of Iberia’s long-haul revenue, the airline’s Latin-American network is its most profitable segment and a key component of the Madrid hub strategy of parent group IAG. Industry analysts note that losing the Caracas leg complicates cargo links for Spanish exporters of pharmaceuticals and perishables, while global mobility managers must now scramble to reroute business travellers and expatriate assignees through third-country hubs such as Bogotá, Santo Domingo or Panama City. The situation also raises insurance costs for companies with staff in Venezuela and underscores the geopolitical risk premium attached to the Andean region.
From a labour-mobility perspective, the suspension is a blow to the roughly 200,000 Venezuelans who hold residence permits in Spain and rely on direct flights for family reunification and remittance trips. Immigration lawyers warn that rebooking through stop-overs may trigger Schengen-transit visa requirements for Venezuelan nationals, adding red tape and cost at short notice. Employers with work-permit holders posted in Caracas are being advised to activate contingency policies, including remote-work arrangements or temporary redeployment to Spain-based project teams.
Iberia’s management said it is “keen to resume service as soon as full safety conditions are restored,” but aviation diplomats doubt that will happen before early 2026. The carrier must first regain its Venezuelan concession—no simple feat given the political temperature—and then secure fresh insurance cover for crew and equipment. In the interim, travellers face longer itineraries, higher fares and potential bottlenecks during the Christmas peak. Multinationals with stakes in both countries are lobbying Madrid to open a bilateral aviation dialogue, yet few expect a quick fix. As one mobility director at an Ibex-35 energy group put it, “Caracas just fell off our preferred-routing map overnight, and we have to rethink talent rotations for 2026.”
