American Airlines Schedules Caracas Return 10 Weeks After Deadly Earthquakes

Published Aug 29, 2026, 3:26 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. American Airlines has confirmed it will return flying between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Caracas (CCS) ten weeks after it was forced to pause its operations due to the deadly Venezuela earthquakes. The oneworld carrier will return to the route on September 3 with two daily flights and a mix of aircraft. The service to Caracas will complement the existing daily flights to Maracaibo, a gateway popular for corporate travelers for the oil industry, and what was a makeshift international point of entry while Caracas's main airport, Maiquetia International, was forced to close due to infrastructure damage that led to many international carriers needing to pause operations. Returning To Caracas On September 3 Credit: Shutterstock In April, American Airlines was the first US carrier to announce direct flights to Venezuela, and the airline began its first flights to the South American country seven years after the airline axed its services due to the US government-enforced do not travel advisory due to political unrest. Come July, American relaunched its services to Caracas with its American Eagle Embraer E175 to shuttle passengers from Miami to Caracas, before upgrading the services to the narrowbody Boeing 737-800. The services to Caracas, from September 3, will have two daily rotations, one served with the 737-800, and the other with the E175. During the initial period after the Venezuela earthquakes, American transported relief supplies to the South American country with the 737, and as confirmed by the Miami Herald, more than 9,000 pounds (4,082 kg) of essential supplies were transported by the carrier from the United States, including nonperishable food, water, baby formula, diapers, and other hygiene products. United Airlines And JetBlue Expected To Follow Credit: Shutterstock United Airlines, which had also planned to resume services to Caracas from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), pushed back its service resumption in August until January 2027. JetBlue has also hinted that it is considering its own flights to Caracas, departing from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL); these are set to begin by the end of the year, but no official date has been confirmed. US carriers with Caracas plans are as follows: Airline From/To Notes American Airlines Miami to Maracaibo Operating daily with the E175 American Airlines Miami to Caracas Resuming September 3, twice daily with the 737-800 and E175 United Airlines Houston to Caracas Pushed back in August, service planned to resume in January with the 737 MAX 8 JetBlue Fort Lauderdale to Caracas Rumoured to be considering services to Caracas, not yet confirmed American's return to Caracas will see a boost in capacity compared to before the Venezuela earthquakes, with the airline's double-daily structure providing a total of 3,472 weekly seats in each direction. This represents a 63% increase in capacity compared with prior to the June 24 earthquake. Two Carriers Will Fly Between Miami And Caracas Credit: Shutterstock Alongside American, Venezuelan carrier Laser Airlines is planned to operate its own services from Caracas to Miami. Commencing in January, the airline will go head-to-head with American on the route. Laser Airlines currently operates a fleet of McDonnell MD-81, MD-82 and MD-83 airplanes. Opening on September 1, Caracas airport will reopen for commercial passenger flights. The earthquakes had caused extensive damage and forced airlines to move operations elsewhere. Temporary areas have now been built in the airport parking lots with facilities for domestic and international departures. The international terminal, according to Air Data News, will have four gates, accommodating up to 780 passengers and covering a total of 46,300 square feet (4,300 m2). Services at Caracas are expected to gradually recover, and other services are expected to continue to neighboring airports Valencia, Barcelona and Maracaibo. Caracas Airport had hoped to open in August, but it was necessary to postpone until September to allow flight simulations before the official opening in September. American Airlines will be the first US carrier to resume services to the airport on September 3.