Venezuela aims to restore direct flights from Russia
Venezuelan tour operator VENETUR announced plans to resume direct air links with Russia, but for now travelers still need connections and the tourist flow has sharply dropped.
Why Venezuela wants direct flights
At a travel forum in Moscow on October 29, the director of the state tour operator VENETUR in Russia, Kalim D’Elia, called restoring a direct air link with Russia a priority. He said the country has always been open to foreign guests, and the Russian market is seen as one of the key ones.
How Russians are flying now
There are no direct flights at the moment, so the tour operator offers combined options. The most popular route is Turkish Airlines with a stopover in Istanbul, from where passengers continue to Caracas. Another option is Qatar Airways via Doha. A typical program lasts two weeks and includes visits to Istanbul, the capital Caracas, and Margarita Island.
Planned new additions
For the summer, VENETUR said it wants to add Canaima National Park and the Los Roches archipelago to its tours. It warned, however, that these itineraries will be pricier than the current Margarita packages.
Price and flight duration
According to media reports, a round‑trip ticket via Istanbul costs on average more than 200 000 ruble, and travel time ranges from 17 to 24 hours, depending on the layover length.
Decline in tourist flow
VENETUR statistics show that about 18.6 thousand Russians visited Venezuela in 2024, but only 6.3 thousand in 2025. The main reasons are the cancellation of Nordwind and Pegasus Touristik charter programs to Margarita, and the suspension of Conviasa’s flights to Moscow because of spare‑parts shortages and aircraft‑maintenance problems.
Geopolitical backdrop
The last direct flights from Russia to Venezuela ended in December 2025. After a series of US strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea, tourists grew uneasy about safety. On 3 January, US forces detained President Nicolás Maduro, after which Russian travelers were advised to stay away. On 24 February the foreign ministry lifted the advisory, and the Ministry of Economic Development allowed tour sales to resume.
Industry assessment
Major tour operators have not yet brought back their programs, and the Association of Russian Tour Operators (ATOR) is cautious about restoring the route. Vice‑president Arthur Muradyan says it is unlikely that Venezuelan airlines will start flying to Russia, fearing secondary sanctions that could even lead to aircraft seizures. He adds that demand for regular flights is also insufficient.
Outlook
Despite the hurdles, D’Elia stresses that Venezuela still sees the Russian market as a priority. If the political climate improves and technical issues are solved, airlines could have the conditions needed to bring back a direct connection.
Based on materials from: trn-news.ru.
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