Venezuela suspended the reduction of flights from the United States until March 30, to allow time for negotiations to guarantee equitable air operations between the two countries, the National Civil Aviation Institute (INAC) announced Saturday.
INAC had said Friday that from March 1 it would reduce flights from the U.S. in retaliation for a similar restriction imposed by the United States on Venezuelan flights since 1955, which it has not been able to have lifted despite modernization of its aviation sector.
The Venezuelan decision to delay the retaliatory measure came after meetings "with each of the representatives of U.S. airlines operating in this country."
Participating in the meetings were "Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, UPS, Geminis Air Cargo, Tradewinds, Atlas Air, Amerijet, Arrow Air, Centurion Air Cargo and Florida West", said a communique from the Venezuelan aviation authority.
According to the official statement, "All of the representatives of American airline operators showed interest in collaborating with INAC as much as possible to intercede with the aeronautics authorities in their country to achieve the restitution of the rights" of Venezuelan companies in the sector.
The Venezuelan Chamber of Air Transport Companies (Caveta) expressed in a statement its support for the INAC restriction, considering that it "seeks a fair balance in commercial aviation relations" between the two countries.
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