A commercial flight from the U.S. to Venezuela took off for the first time in nearly seven years, a historic effort between the two nations as they continue to bolster economic ties following the arrest of deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
According to CNN, the inaugural American Airlines flight is expected to last just under 3.5 hours, departing from Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami, Fla., at 10:16 a.m. ET, before landing at Simon Bolivar International Airport (CCS) at 1:36 p.m. local time.
Reports from the Terminal
“A real sense of excitement here at Gate D55 in Miami International Airport … American Airlines is going to make the first commercial flight to Venezuela from the U.S. in seven years due to unrest in that country … for a lot of people here in Florida, it’s going to be a chance for some to reunite with their family members,” a FOX News correspondent reported from an MIA terminal.
“They’re pulling out all the stops here, Café Con Leche, free arepas, and they’re just starting to board right now. This is a symbol not just of reunion, but of how much has changed in Venezuela over the past 117 days since Nicolás Maduro was taken by U.S. forces,” the reporter added.
According to CNN, roughly two-thirds of the seats aboard Flight AA 3599 were taken, with journalists and officials primarily taking them up.
Prior to the Resume Flights
Earlier in the month, American Airlines announced its plans to resume flights to Venezuela as soon as Apr. 30, affirming at the time that they were awaiting government approval and security measures.
American Airlines, the once largest U.S. airline operating in the Latin American nation, had stopped service in 2019, when the U.S. banned passenger and cargo flights from traveling to Venezuela.
