Venezuela's Chavez to Bar Delta, Continental Flights (Update3) Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will bar Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines from flying to Caracas until Venezuelan carriers are allowed to expand service to the U.S.
Flights by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the U.S. carrier with the most service to Venezuela, will be cut by 70 percent, said Francisco Paz Fleites, head of the country's civil aviation institute. Venezuela is blocked from adding to its U.S. service by a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration decision in 1995 that downgraded the country's security, safety and technical rating.
``There is a new aviation law and international aviation institute, our radar has improved, as has our control over our planes, pilots and maintenance,'' Paz Fleites said in a television interview, adding that U.S. refusal to upgrade Venezuela violates the countries' aviation accords.
The cutback in flights underscores the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Venezuela, the U.S. fifth-largest supplier of oil and petroleum products. Chavez, an ally of Fidel Castro, poses a threat to regional stability, say officials such as Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who told Congress on Feb. 16 the U.S. is seeking a ``united front'' against Venezuela. Chavez, 51, often says in speeches the U.S. is plotting to assassinate him.
The cutbacks, which will apply to passenger and cargo flights, go into effect March 1. U.S. carriers will meet today with Venezuelan authorities in a bid to overturn the ruling, a spokeswoman for the airline institute said.
Flight Plans
``We are working closely with the U.S. departments of State and Transportation to resolve the issue and maintain service for our customers between the U.S. and Venezuela,'' said Delta spokesman John Kennedy. Delta flies daily between Caracas and Atlanta.
American Airlines spokeswoman Martha Pantin in Miami said the airline will meet with Venezuelan officials today and had no further comment.
Fort Worth, Texas-based American has four daily flights between Miami and Caracas, one flight a day between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Caracas; five weekly flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and Caracas; two weekly flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Caracas and one daily flight between Miami and Maraciabo.
Continental Airlines country manager Gustavo Bastardo said in a statement that the airline will maintain its schedule of one daily flight to Houston and weekly service to Newark while seeking clarification from the institute.
U.S. officials are trying to contact Venezuelan officials ``to clarify the matter,'' U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Penn said in a telephone interview.
Support
Besides U.S. carriers, Venezuelan airlines Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela and Santa Barbara Airlines also fly to the U.S. from the South American country. Lan Airlines also flies between Miami and Caracas.
``Aeropostal strongly supports the decision to suspend American Airlines, Delta and Continental certification for flying into Venezuela", said company President Nelson Ramiz said in an e-mailed statement. ``We are very pleased with the decision and at last we see an effort from the Venezuelan authorities to bring some
