US issues 60-day flight caution for Pacific and Latin America routes amid military activity

By Gizem Nisa Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday issued a series of flight advisories urging US aviation operators to “exercise caution” when flying over parts of Mexico, Central and South America, and adjacent Pacific airspace due to heightened “military activities” and related navigation risks.

The Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), effective Jan. 16 and lasting 60 days, cover regions including Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and wide sections of the eastern Pacific Ocean, The New York Times reported.

According to the FAA, the alerts warned that “potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and the arrival and departure phases of flight,” and noted possible interference with satellite navigation systems.

The warnings come after a US campaign of strikes against maritime drug trafficking targets in the Caribbean and Pacific, and a military operation in early January that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Mexico’s government responded that the FAA’s notice is preventive and does not affect national civil aviation operations, insisting there are “no operational implications or restrictions” for Mexican airspace or carriers.

Operators worldwide are being advised to review the FAA’s guidelines as geopolitical tensions in the hemisphere persist.