A commercial flight from the United States landed in Venezuela on Thursday, restoring direct air travel between the two countries for the first time since 2019 and signaling improving ties after years of strained relations.

The flight, operated by Envoy Air, a regional carrier owned by American Airlines, departed Miami International Airport at 10:11 a.m. EDT and arrived at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas at 1:22 p.m. EDT, according to flight tracking data.

The aircraft is scheduled to make the return trip later in the day, leaving Venezuela at 2:40 p.m. EDT and arriving back in Miami at 6:11 p.m. EDT, according to the same tracking service.

Earlier Thursday, the State Department shared footage on X showing the American Eagle plane taxiing for takeoff. Officials said the route will operate daily between Miami and Venezuela.

Air travel between the two nations was halted in 2019 when the Department of Transportation suspended all commercial and cargo flights after the Department of Homeland Security concluded that “conditions” in Venezuela “threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew.”

Since then, political developments have led to a thaw in relations. After U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, the government led by his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has taken steps to loosen restrictions, including freeing hundreds of political detainees and easing limits on foreign investment in the country’s oil sector.

In addition, the Treasury Department moved earlier this month to scale back sanctions affecting Venezuela’s state-run banking system.

Despite those changes, human rights concerns remain. As of April 21, 473 political prisoners — including 43 foreign nationals — are still being held in Venezuela, according to the rights group Foro Penal.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who attended a ceremony in Miami marking the inaugural flight, described the development as a “critical milestone in strengthening the United States relationship with Venezuela and unleashing economic opportunity” in both countries.

“I am proud of our Department’s work behind the scenes to make this inaugural flight come to life, and I want to thank American Airlines for their continued commitment to servicing this essential aviation artery,” Duffy said in a release.

American Airlines executive vice president Nate Gatten said the carrier was “proud to be the first airline to resume service” between the two countries.

Flights between Miami and Caracas are already available for booking through May, though ticket prices exceeded $1,000 for a one-way trip as of Thursday afternoon.

The Transportation Department said additional airlines may soon follow, noting that other carriers “have expressed a strong interest in restoring operations to Caracas and other locations across Venezuela.”

Officials added that the department will “continue to review applications and provide updates in the coming months on new offerings.”

The restored route is expected to serve a large Venezuelan population living in the United States. As of 2024, about 1.2 million Venezuelans reside in the U.S., including roughly 254,000 in the Miami area and approximately 127,000 in the Orlando region.

{Matzav.com}