Venezuela has banned six major international airlines from landing in the country after they failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to resume flights there.
The airlines had temporarily suspended their routes into the capital, Caracas, after the US warned of "heightened military activity" in the area as its forces ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Angered by this, the Venezuelan government issued the carriers with an ultimatum that expired on Wednesday. While a number of smaller airlines continue to fly to Venezuela, thousands of passengers have been affected.
The US warning comes as it builds up its military presence in the Caribbean under the guise of targeting drug trafficking.
Venezuela's civil aviation authority, which reports to the country's ministry of transport, announced on Wednesday that Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca and Turkish Airlines would lose their landing and take-off rights with immediate effect.
