First direct commercial flight between the US and Venezuela in seven years lands in Caracas

The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years arrived at Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas. The flight, operated by American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air as flight 3599, departed from Miami at 10:26 local time. On board the Embraer 175 aircraft were government officials, business representatives, and journalists. This event follows the detention of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces in January and the subsequent agreement between Washington and the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez to restore diplomatic ties. Relations between the two nations had been severed in 2019 and the country had faced aviation isolation since late 2025. The resumption of flights marks a significant step in the normalization of bilateral relations. The US embassy in Caracas resumed operations in late March as part of this diplomatic reconciliation process.