National Airlines Gains DOT Authority for U.S.–Venezuela Flights

DALLAS — National Airlines (N8) has received temporary U.S. economic authority to operate scheduled passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela, adding another operator to a market that reopened this year after a seven-year suspension.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) granted the exemption subject to conditions on July 30. It remains effective through July 30, 2028.

The authorization covers scheduled foreign air transportation of passengers, property, and mail. National, however, has not announced a public passenger route, timetable, or ticket-sales date. The carrier said its immediate operation would consist of humanitarian relief flights carrying aid and other supplies to Venezuela.

No U.S. origin, Venezuelan destination, frequency, start date, or aircraft assignment was disclosed in the August 19 announcement.

What the Exemption Changes

National filed its application on July 13, seeking authority for scheduled transportation of people, property, and mail between the two countries. The DOT acted 17 days later, giving the carrier the economic authority it requested for a two-year term.

The exemption is broader than the first mission National has described. It creates a legal basis for scheduled passenger and cargo operations, while the airline's announced near-term plan is limited to relief airlift. National primarily markets on-demand cargo and passenger charter services rather than a conventional scheduled passenger network.

That distinction matters for travelers. Regulatory authority allows an airline to operate covered services, but it is not a schedule announcement. Until National identifies airports, dates, frequencies, and a sales channel, the decision does not add a bookable passenger option between the United States and Venezuela.

National's current fleet includes nine Boeing 747-400 freighters and four Boeing 777-200 freighters, alongside one Airbus A330-300 and two A330-200 passenger aircraft. The company did not say which fleet type would operate the humanitarian flights.

A Reopened but Selective Market

Direct commercial service between the two countries had been suspended since May 2019. The Department of Homeland Security rescinded that suspension effective April 15, 2026, after the DOT withdrew its corresponding order and the Transportation Security Administration assessed security at Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS), which serves Caracas.

The federal notice said TSA would continue assessing Venezuelan airports individually. National's exemption therefore sits within a broader restoration process in which carrier economic authority, airport security assessments, and an airline's own commercial or government mission plans remain separate steps.

Scheduled passenger flying has already resumed on selected routes. American Airlines returned to Caracas from Miami in April and later added Maracaibo, while United Airlines resumed Houston–Caracas service on August 11.

National enters that market with a different initial purpose. Chairman Chris Alf said the carrier would support the U.S. government's humanitarian mission, but the airline provided no contract details or flight program. The next operational milestone will be disclosure of the airports, aircraft, and timing for those relief services. Any move into publicly sold passenger flying would require a separate schedule announcement from the airline.

This news comes nearly two months after the devastating earthquake in Venezuela.