Arrival area of Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela’s main air terminal. Photo: Rogerio Tomaz Jr. (Courtesy).
Guacamaya, May 22, 2025. The governments of Panama and Venezuela have confirmed the resumption of direct commercial flights between the two countries, which will take effect this Friday, May 23. This agreement ends a suspension that lasted nearly ten months and had severely impacted connectivity as well as economic and social exchange between the nations.
The decision was first announced on Wednesday, May 21, and later confirmed by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, who reported receiving a formal request letter to reopen the air route. “It is in Panama’s interest to reopen flights to Venezuela,” Mulino stated, also emphasizing the importance of Venezuela’s cooperation in facilitating the return of Venezuelan migrants currently in transit.
The suspension of flights between Panama and Venezuela began on July 30, 2024, following a decision by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry to sever commercial and diplomatic relations with Panama. This move responded to Panama’s critical stance regarding the results of Venezuela’s presidential elections held on July 28 of that year.
At that time, Panama’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that the suspension applied to both commercial flights and general aviation aircraft registered in Venezuela. The restriction was to remain until both countries established a clear mechanism for approving landing and operational permits, which was finally achieved this Wednesday.
Before the interruption, the Panama–Venezuela route was one of the busiest in the region, transporting over 300,000 passengers in the first half of 2024, according to data from Tocumen International Airport. The cancellation caused economic losses, increased ticket prices, and forced travelers to seek alternative routes, often more expensive and complicated.
The Venezuelan airline Venezolana was the first to announce the restoration of the route, with direct flights between Caracas and Panama starting this Friday, May 23, 2025. Tickets are already available on its website and sales offices. Other airlines, such as Copa Airlines, are expected to resume their schedules in the coming days once they receive official authorization.
The agreement to resume flights does not, for now, imply the full restoration of diplomatic relations between the two governments, which have been severed since July 2024. However, it represents an important step toward normalizing commercial ties and facilitating the movement of people, especially amid a growing flow of Venezuelans returning from the United States.
The reactivation of the Panama–Venezuela route coincides with the recent suspension of flights from Colombia to Venezuela, decreed by Nicolás Maduro’s government last Monday, May 19. Justified by security concerns and alleged terrorist threats, this measure affects eight airlines and more than 18,000 monthly passengers crossing between the two countries.
