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The air crisis facing Venezuela has forced thousands of people to redesign their exit routes amidst an escalating threat of armed conflict with the United States.
With no international flights available, travelers must complete a complex internal circuit that combines road journeys and local flights to airports near the border.
The state of Táchira, in the west of the country, has become one of the main transit points to Colombia. One of these travelers is José Castro, who shared with the agency Efe his journey from the state of Nueva Esparta.
From there, he flew to Caracas, took another flight to San Antonio del Táchira, and then crossed into Colombia by land. His final destination: Madrid.
“I bought the ticket to Spain for 900 euros,” he explained.
This type of trips, unthinkable in another context, has become common since at least 12 international airlines suspended operations in Venezuela over the past two weeks.
The cause was a warning from U.S. authorities about the risks of flying over Venezuelan and Caribbean airspace, amidst rising military tensions in the region.
A country disconnected from the world by air
The suspension of international flights has left Venezuela isolated.
Currently, there are no foreign companies operating routes to or from the country, which has led to a surge of travelers turning to alternative routes.
“I tried to find direct flights from Caracas to Medellín and I couldn't. I had to come to the border. It's a bit more cumbersome, it takes more time, and it wears you out more,” said another traveler to the mentioned news agency.
That traveler -also called José- was traveling with his wife from the state of Miranda to Medellín, Colombia. Their journey cost 540 dollars and it was the first time they crossed the border.
Closed bridges and protests further complicate the way forward
The land exodus has also faced obstacles.
José Castro told Efe that his journey became complicated when he found the Simón Bolívar International Bridge closed, the main crossing between Venezuela and Colombia.
The passage was blocked by a protest from the families of Colombian citizens detained in Venezuela, who chained themselves together demanding justice.
“I had to take a taxi to another bridge, known as Tienditas, about 10 kilometers from Simón Bolívar, to continue into Colombian territory,” explained Castro.
Border airports saturated and binational taxis
The General Cipriano Castro Airport in San Antonio del Táchira has experienced a surge in traffic.
According to Orlando Méndez, a taxi driver working at the airport terminal, transfers have increased following the cancellations.
“A airline that used to arrive only in the morning now flies and arrives in the afternoon and vice versa,” she stated to Efe.
Taxis have thus become a crucial tool for those crossing the border.
Méndez detailed that the fare is 20 dollars “from airport to airport,” facilitating the transfer to the “air bridge” in Cúcuta, Colombia, thanks to partnerships between Venezuelan and Colombian taxi drivers.
Local airlines are trying to fill the gap
The crisis has also forced Venezuelan airlines to alter their operations.
They are opening new routes - such as flights to Bogotá - and increasing the frequencies to border cities.
The airline Estelar, for instance, will activate four new weekly flights between San Antonio and Caracas, from December 8 to January 18, 2026.
The flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, as announced to Efe by the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Táchira, Yionnel Contreras.
Terminals overwhelmed by demand
The border affairs specialist, William Gómez, reported that the 26 weekly flight schedules at Cipriano Castro Airport were already full, transporting around 6,000 passengers.
He estimated that the number could double in the coming days, reaching up to 12,000 or 14,000 travelers, given the strategic location of the terminal, which is only 15 minutes away from Camilo Daza Airport in Cúcuta.
The scene that repeats every day in Táchira is that of a Venezuela that continues trying to leave, now not on direct flights, but in makeshift segments.
Air uncertainty has turned citizens into forced travelers by land, sea, and air. Without regular connections, without guarantees of open passage, and with extremely high costs.
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