Airplanes at the Simon Bolivar airport. File photo.
This Tuesday, February 8, Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) authorized commercial flights between Venezuela and Portugal, suspended since March 20, 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Through a statement, INAC announced that Portugal was added to the list of destinations for commercial air operations authorized for the transfer of passengers with Venezuela.
As of now, this list also includes Turkey, Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Russia, Cuba, Spain, and Portugal.
RELATED CONTENT: INAC Authorizes Direct Flights Between Spain and Venezuela
Likewise, INAC exhorted travel agencies not to sell tickets on routes that are not authorized by the Venezuelan government, and in turn asked citizens not to purchase air tickets to countries that are not approved either.
#Comunicado || El #INAC, cumpliendo con los lineamientos del Ejecutivo Nacional, informa medidas para el sector aéreo nacional de acuerdo a lo establecido en los NOTAM N° C0139/22 y A0067/22. pic.twitter.com/DneWT5Af6h
— Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil (INAC) (@InacVzla) February 9, 2022
The decision was established in NOTAM Nº C0139/22 and A0067/22, although it does not specify when they will start flying to or from this destination.
“We continue to help in the fight against COVID-19, implementing the measures ordered by the National Executive in order to counteract the effects of the pandemic,” the statement reads.
Portugal becomes the fourth European country authorized after Spain was added to the list on January 24, alongside with Turkey and Russia.
Before the start of the pandemic, TAP Air Portugal was the only company that offered flights to Portuguese territory, with two services per week to Lisbon. It remains to be seen what the specifics of any flight schedules will be.
At the time of travel, passengers must present a PCR-RT test (negative and verifiable) carried out a maximum of 72 hours before boarding.
“We remind all air transport users who enter Venezuela that they must present a PCR-RT test (negative and verifiable), validated within 72 hours of the time of arrival in Venezuela to their operator before boarding. Other types of tests are not allowed,” said INAC’s president, Juan Teixeira Díaz.
Featured image: Airplanes at the Simon Bolivar airport. File photo.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
