US warning on airport security in Venezuela

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a warning on the security of airports in Venezuela. Compliance with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is suspect, says US. 

The security warning applies to 4 international airports in Venezuela serving as the last point of departure from Venezuela to the United States  these airports are located in Caracas, Valencia, Barcelona and Maracaibo.

Though this warning will not block immediately flights between the United States and Venezuela, the US move is feared to renew tensions over air travel between the two countries.

Under Title 49 of the US Code, Section 44907, the Department of Homeland Security is required to assess security at foreign airports with direct service to the United States to determine compliance with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). 

New York Times newspaper reported, quoting officials of the Department of Homeland Security, that inspectors of the DHS have been blocked from examining international airports in Venezuela to determine whether they comply with security standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Inspectors of the US Department of Homeland Security have been trying for the past two years to gain access to Venezuelas main international hubs, including Simn Bolvar International Airport, located outside Caracas, capital of Venezuela.

New York Times quoted Christopher White, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, as saying: Beginning September 9, 2008, security checkpoints at airports in the United States will post warnings on travel to and from Venezuela. The warnings wont directly block flights or advise Americans to avoid flying to Venezuela; rather, they will state that the Transportation Security Administration cannot verify that airports in Venezuela have proper security procedures in place.

The Transportation Security Administration, Christopher White added, is not alarmed that unvetted passengers will board US-bound flights. The vetting of passengers is conducted by the airlines using the no-fly and selectee watch lists provided by the Transportation Security Administration. This issue is with Venezuelan officials not having allowed TSA inspectors to verify that the airports themselves meet international security standards.

From now on, air carriers providing tickets for flights between the United States and Venezuela will have to state in writing that Venezuela does not comply with international aviation security standards, Christopher White said.

There are 10 daily flights from Venezuela to the United States. Of these, United States-based carriers operate 8 flights. 

On September 8, the Transportation Security Administration had said in an advisory: Venezuela has refused multiple requests to allow for such assessments, which are required by US law, and the agency is taking action to warn travellers of this security deficiency.

An official of AMR Corporations American Airlines said: American Airlines believes that security is adequate at Simn Bolvar International and at Venezuelas other main international airports. We think the airports are well run, and obviously for us, the safety of our passengers, our crews and our aircraft are of the utmost importance.

American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the United States, operates the highest number of direct flights to Venezuela from the United States.

In the mid-1990s, the United States Federal Aviation Administration, the agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the United States, had lowered Venezuelas safety rating to Category 2  meaning that Venezuelan airlines are not permitted to expand service in the US and had to work with US experts to make improvements. This move by the US had resulted in Venezuela threatening to limit access to airports in Venezuela for United States-based carriers.

Later, the US Federal Aviation Administration upgraded Venezuelas safety rating to Category 1 in 2006, which paved the way for a relaxation in tensions between the two countries and expansion in service.