The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently issued a cautionary notice urging U.S. aircraft operators to exercise heightened vigilance when operating flights over the eastern Pacific Ocean, particularly in regions near Mexico, Central America, and select South American countries. This advisory stems from reported "military activities" in the area, coupled with the possibility of interference to satellite-based navigation systems utilized by aircraft.
The FAA communicated this through a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), emphasizing that these potential risks extend to aircraft operating at all altitudes. This encompasses planes in various stages of flight including overflight operations, as well as arrivals and departures. These special advisories have been set with a validity period of 60 days.
Such notices are standard practice when there are ongoing hostilities or military engagements in the vicinity of civil aviation routes. Specifically, the warnings come in the wake of a U.S. military effort spanning nearly four months, targeting maritime vessels operating in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific waters. These operations are part of an anti-narcotics campaign aimed at intercepting boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking activities.
Reports indicate that 35 confirmed strikes have been conducted during this initiative, resulting in the deaths of at least 115 individuals, according to information disseminated by the Trump administration.
In a broader context, the FAA issued an earlier caution in November, warning pilots to maintain caution while flying over Venezuelan airspace. This advisory was linked to escalating security concerns and intensified military presence within that country's air corridors.
More recently, on January 3, the United States executed a large-scale strike in Caracas, Venezuela's capital. This operation culminated in the apprehension and relocation of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, to New York where they face federal charges related to drug trafficking.
Additionally, in December, an incident involving a JetBlue flight departing from Curaçao, a small Caribbean nation, has been documented. The commercial aircraft interrupted its climb mid-flight to prevent a collision with a U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker, underscoring the complexities introduced by overlapping military and civilian operations in the region.