JetBlue joins the reopening of air travel between the U.S. and Venezuela

JetBlue announced this Thursday its intention to launch direct flights between Fort Lauderdale and Venezuela, specifically to the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, awaiting authorization from the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate the route.

The low-cost airline plans to begin operations before the end of the year, and tickets will go on sale in the coming months, according to an official statement. The service will operate with Airbus A320 aircraft with a capacity of 180 passengers.

Fort Lauderdale is JetBlue's main city and serves as a key gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, where the airline offers an extensive network of destinations throughout the region.

With this announcement, JetBlue becomes the fourth airline to join the reopening of air travel between the two countries, following the historic return of American Airlines to Caracas on April 30, the start of operations of Laser Airlines on May 1, and the announcement from United Airlines regarding its Houston-Caracas route beginning August 11.

Direct flights between the U.S. and Venezuela were suspended in 2019 by decision of U.S. authorities amid political tensions and security concerns during Nicolás Maduro's government.

The interruption lasted nearly seven years until, following the capture of Maduro in January 2026, President Donald Trump ordered the reopening of Venezuelan airspace for commercial flights. The Department of Transportation approved the first routes in March of that same year.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also completed its technical assessment in May at the airports of Maracaibo and Barcelona to expand direct air connectivity to other Venezuelan destinations.

The contrast with Cuba is striking: JetBlue was indeed the first American airline to operate a regular commercial flight to the island after more than five decades of interruption, with the inaugural Fort Lauderdale–Santa Clara flight on August 31, 2016, amid the thaw in relations between Washington and Havana.

However, in September 2023, JetBlue suspended its flights to Cuba citing "changes in the regulatory landscape and restrictions on our customers' ability to enter Cuba."

While Venezuela is experiencing an unprecedented air reopening, Cuba is facing the opposite situation: eleven airlines have suspended flights to the island so far in 2026, worsening a connectivity crisis primarily driven by the shortage of Jet A-1 fuel and the financial pressures imposed by the dictatorship on international operators.

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, described United Airlines' return to Venezuela as "another exciting development in the relationship," indicating that Washington is committed to strengthening air connections with Caracas as part of its new policy towards the South American country.