Fri, Mar 31, 2006
New Deadline April 25
As FAA negotiators left
Caracas Thursday to deliberate the possibility of allowing
Venezuela to resume flights to the United States after an 11-year
ban, that country's government eased off on the deadline for its
own move to block US airlines from flying to the South American
country.
That ban was due to take effect
Thursday -- the same day US representatives were
scheduled to fly back to Washington to debate lifting the 1995 ban
on Venezuelan aircraft. Venezuela now says it will give the US a
little more time to act.
"It has been decided to grant an extension until April 25, 2006
in anticipation of formally receiving before that date the results
of the visit by the FAA," the Venezuelan government said in a
written release. The delay will give FAA officials time to finish
their safety audit of the country.
Venezuela hopes the US will upgrade its current category 2
safety ranking, which has prohibited Venezuelan airlines from
flying to the US since 1995 -- unless they charter planes operated
and flown by companies that meet the tougher Category 1
requirement.
Two Venezuela airlines have done just that -- but the ban still
prohibits those carriers from launching new services, or from
changing routes.
Despite the delay, Venezuela maintains its threat that if the
FAA fails to grant it category 1 status, it will prohibit all
flights to the country by Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines,
and will restrict flights by American Airlines.
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