American Airlines says it could restart Miami-Caracas flights by end of April

American Airlines expects to resume flying between Miami and Caracas as early as April 30, the company told the Miami Herald.

Envoy, a subsidiary of American Airlines and part of American Eagle, will operate the daily, non-stop service between Venezuela’s capital and home to the country’s largest diaspora in the United States.

The airline will fly an Embraer-175, a smaller plane, so the company can assess market demand.

The April 30 date depends on American Airlines obtaining all government approvals and security clearances, the carrier said in a statement on Thursday. It could be pushed back.

But this is the first time American has provided a timeline or a specific date about resuming service, an indication that discussions between the carrier and U.S. and Venezuelan officials are advancing.

“We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made with both governments,” Nate Gatten, executive vice president of American Eagle, corporate real estate and government affairs, said in the emailed statement.

In March, the Miami Herald reported that the airline was hopeful it could restart flights during the first half of 2026. April 30 would fall within that window.

American, which has a major hub at Miami International Airport and is one of Miami-Dade County’s largest employers, is the first commercial airline to announce plans to resume non-stop fights between Venezuela and the United States.

The process involved to get those first flights to take off can be long and complicated. It involves approvals by both governments. Both countries also need to issue visas much easier and quicker than they currently do, say industry and Venezuela experts.

The Transportation Security Administration, which sent a team to Caracas in February, also needs to complete and release an audit.

The State Department’s Level 3 advisory for Venezuela — reconsider travel — is also likely to deter travelers. The advisory was Level 4 — do not travel — as recently as March and the situation remains fluid and fast-moving.

The return of flights would be one of several significant changes the past four months.

In January, the U.S. military under orders from President Donald Trump removed and arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas, and brought them to New York.

The Trump administration left in place Delcy Rodríguez to lead Venezuela. She was previously Maduro’s No. 2 and is implicated in a host of human rights violations and acts of state repression including torture and killings. But the Trump administration has bet on leaving her in place as an effective way to lead to a gradual transition or do its bidding.

While Trump has downplayed the importance of democracy returning to Venezuela, he has pressed forward normalizing some business relations. That includes pushing American oil and mining executives to work there even if it will likely take years before yielding significant results for many companies.

Rodríguez has also appeared eager to restore business ties between the U.S. and Venezuela while restoring democracy has taken a back seat.

On Jan. 29, the Department of Transportation rescinded an order from 2019 that had suspended foreign air transportation between the United States and Venezuela.

The same day, American Airlines, which had operated flights until that year, said it “plans to reinstate nonstop service between the United States and Venezuela” and “is ready to commence flights to Venezuela, pending government approval and security.” It quickly filed an application with the DOT.

In March, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration both approved American’s request to resume flights.

The airline now awaits approval from Venezuela’s civil aviation authority. American submitted its application with them this week, according to a person familiar with the process.

American goes back a way with the South American nation. It began operating in Venezuela in 1987.

“We are grateful for the efforts of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the entire administration to help us connect the U.S. with Venezuela,” said Gatten, the American executive.

This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM.