American Airlines announced a new direct flight route between Miami International Airport (MIA) and the city of Barcelona, in the Anzoátegui state of Venezuela, set to start on January 15, 2027.
The connection will operate three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, as officially reported by American Airlines.
The company will use Embraer 175 aircraft, featuring a premium cabin, wifi connectivity, and power outlets at the seats.
This is the first route of American Airlines to Barcelona, Venezuela, identified by the airport code BLA, and it will enable direct travel between that city in eastern Venezuela and Miami, one of the airline's main international connection hubs.
The company indicated that tickets would be available for purchase starting on October 19, 2026, through its website, aa.com, and its mobile app.
The new connection will facilitate travel between South Florida and eastern Venezuela, especially towards Barcelona and the nearby city of Puerto La Cruz, two significant commercial and industrial centers in that region.
American Airlines also highlighted that passengers flying from Barcelona to Miami will have access to connections to over 100 destinations in North America through its flight network.
The inclusion of Barcelona will expand the company's operations in Venezuela, where it already provides services from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo.
According to the announced schedule, once the new route is inaugurated, American Airlines will offer 24 weekly flights between the United States and Venezuela, distributed among two daily flights to Caracas, one daily flight to Maracaibo, and three weekly services to Barcelona.
The airline noted that it continues to be the only U.S. company operating flights to Venezuela and emphasized the opportunities that the new connection could create for commercial travel and economic relations between the two countries.
Similarly, the announced destination is Barcelona, Venezuela, not Barcelona, Spain. The Venezuelan airport uses the code BLA, while the airport in the Spanish city is identified as BCN.
American Airlines has not announced any changes to the immigration requirements for traveling to Venezuela, nor any new entry or exit facilitation for this route.
The expansion occurs after the resumption of direct air connections between both countries, which had been interrupted for nearly seven years.
In April, American Airlines resumed its direct commercial flights between Miami and Caracas, becoming the first American airline to restore this service since the operations were suspended in 2019.
That flight was operated by Envoy Air, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, with an Embraer 175 aircraft under the American Eagle brand, and marked the return of a connection used for years by travelers moving between the United States and Venezuela.
Later, in July, the company resumed its flights between Miami and Maracaibo, following the disruptions caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June.
The possibility of establishing direct connections with Barcelona had already been discussed months earlier.
In May, the United States reported on efforts to expand air connections to the airports of Maracaibo and Barcelona, linked to the necessary security assessments required to authorize new international operations.
The company also recalled that, following the earthquakes in June, it organized a special humanitarian flight to Caracas, transporting over 9,000 pounds of essential supplies for the affected communities.
Related videos:
Filed under: