Venezuela will postpone a ban on US flights until March 30, the
National Civil Aviation Institute (INAC) said on Sunday.
The INAC said in a statement on its website that the measure to
prohibit flights starting March 1 by Continental Airlines and Delta
Air Lines, and to restrict flights by American Airlines, will be
put off for a month.
The postponement "will allow communication channels to be
established between the competent authorities in order to guarantee
equal opportunities in air operations for both Venezuelan and North
American airlines," the aviation authority said.
The airlines and the US Embassy in Caracas have said they are
willing to collaborate with Venezuelan officials to resolve the
problem, the statement said.
The US government has also proposed that talks be held between
aviation officials from both countries, it said.
The Venezuelan Airlines Association welcomed the decision by the
INAC, saying it was a gesture of goodwill that should help the
negotiations.
On Wednesday, the INAC announced a substantial reduction in
US-Venezuela flights to be implemented by March 1.
In mid-1990s, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
downgraded Venezuela from Category 1 to Category 2 and restricted
some flights by Venezuelan carriers to the United States because it
said the country did not meet international safety standards.
Venezuelan officials said that since then they have made safety
improvement that has not been recognized by the US authorities.
(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2006)
