Venezuela Challenges Trump Airspace Claim in ICAO Filing

Venezuela has filed a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) following remarks by US President Donald Trump asserting that the country’s airspace should be considered closed. The development has intensified an ongoing dispute involving ICAO, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and several international airlines.

The complaint was confirmed by Venezuela’s Minister of Transport, Ramón Velásquez, who said the government acted after Trump issued a message stating that airlines, pilots and others “should consider that the airspace over Venezuela and its surroundings will remain closed in its entirety.”

Velásquez said Venezuela submitted a written notification to ICAO outlining what it views as threats to its airspace. “The Venezuelan state, within the framework of its peace diplomacy, has denounced in writing to the International Civil Aviation Organization the serious threats against our airspace that affect safety in this hemisphere,” he said. Although the ministry later removed the original communication from its social media channels, the statement was reproduced by international outlets.

The minister argued that Trump’s message amounted to an unauthorized and legally baseless declaration. He said the US president announced the “supposed closure of Venezuelan airspace without the required authority for an announcement of this nature and without any legal basis.” He added that such a statement “constitutes an act of unlawful interference, classified as a serious offense in Annex 17 of the International Civil Aviation Convention, by endangering operational aviation safety through the dissemination of false information.”

Velásquez Araguayán emphasized that only Venezuela’s National Aeronautical Authority, INAC, has the power to regulate national airspace. “No foreign power may replace, in any way, the exercise of Venezuelan jurisdiction,” he said.

The dispute dates back to Nov. 21, when the FAA issued a security advisory urging operators to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, citing a “potentially dangerous situation.” The advisory prompted several airlines — including Iberia, TAP, LATAM, Turkish Airlines, Air Europa, Avianca and Plus Ultra — to suspend operations.

In response, the Venezuelan government revoked traffic rights for six carriers — Iberia, TAP, Turkish Airlines, LATAM, Gol and Avianca — after they failed to resume flights within the 48-hour period set by authorities. Venezuelan officials alleged that the airlines aligned with the US position in what they described as a “supposed plot” involving airspace control.

IATA later issued a statement underscoring the need for airlines to retain the ability to independently assess risks in airspace. The association said operators must be able to make “decisions based on safety, reinforcing the principle that although skies should remain open, safety and legal compliance must always prevail.”