Venezuelan authorities have banned aircraft registered in Argentina from flying over its territory after an aircraft belonging to the Venezuelan company Emtrasur was seized in Buenos Aires.
The decision primarily affected Aerol neas Argentinas aircraft flying to Mexico and the United States. In addition, the ban also affected private aircraft registered in Argentina.
According to Clarin, the Argentine Foreign Ministry sent two notes to the Venezuelan side and summoned the Venezuelan Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Stella Lugo, a few weeks ago.
The Emtrasur plane was unable to leave Buenos Aires in June 2022, after a court banned the crew of five Iranians and 14 Venezuelan citizens from leaving the country. The restrictive measure was due to an investigation into terrorist links. They were subsequently all released.
Following the detention of the aircraft and crew, the US Department of Justice asked the Argentine authorities to seize the Emtrasur aircraft, which had been purchased from Iranian Mahan Air under US sanctions. In early January, an Argentine court granted the US justice’s request to hand over the aircraft, and on 12 February it was handed over to the US state of Florida for destruction.
