After the case of the detained jumbo jet, Venezuela closes its airspace to Argentine aircraft

The Venezuelan government issued an order restricting the airspace of aircraft registered in Argentina.

This measure prevents aircraft registered in Argentina (mainly commercial aircraft with LV registration) from crossing airspace under Venezuelan jurisdiction to complete their scheduled flights, the partner portal reported. Flight line.

On Aerolíneas Argentinas – the only operator with an LV registration that normally transits Venezuelan airspace – affected by this measure, an alternative route is expected, which will increase flight time and fuel consumption on flights to the USA.

In addition to the logical increase in costs and flight duration, the restrictions are another link in the escalation of the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, which began when the Emtrasor Boeing 747-300 was prevented from refueling in Buenos Aires, where it was flying. Aircraft operated by Iranians and subject to US government sanctions.

In July 2022, a rare 747-300 landed in Argentina to bring Volkswagen parts from Mexico. However, on board the plane were several Iranian crew members, who were from the management of Mahan Air, an Iranian airline that was sanctioned by the United States after transferring weapons to the Quds Forces, a paramilitary group serving the Iranian government.

The jumbo jet itself was already on the US sanctions list because it was also an aircraft operated by Mahan Air, and as a result, none of Argentina's fuel suppliers wanted to sell kerosene to Emtrasur. Negativity also came from suppliers in neighboring countries such as Paraguay, Uruguay and even Brazil.

The fear at the time was that if the fuel was sold, the supplier would be sanctioned and banned from supplying any US aircraft, resulting in medium-term losses. Unable to leave the site, Argentina began investigating the source of the jumbo jet and notified the United States of America, which requested the aircraft be intercepted and subsequently confiscated under US judicial custody.

Recently, the United States took possession of the plane and transported it to Florida, where the jumbo jet was dismantled. Since 2022, Venezuela has accused Argentina of stealing and sabotaging Americans, but it has not taken any actual action, until now, when it decided to close the country's airspace to Argentine aircraft.