German airline Lufthansa and Latin American carrier Latam plan to suspend flights to Venezuela due to its worsening economic situation.
ADVERTISEMENTLatam, the largest airline in Latin America, said on Monday it will no longer fly to Venezuela.
The company cited the “complex macroeconomic situation” for its decision to suspend flights until further notice.
Latam was formed from the merger of Chile’s LAN and Brazilian airline TAM.
The news came just hours after Germany’s Lufthansa said it plans to suspend flights to Venezuela next month due to the worsening economic situation in the country.
The carrier said currency controls in the South American nation had made it impossible for it to convert earnings into dollars and repatriate revenue.
Lufthansa added that it hoped to restore services in the near future.
The low oil price has badly hit Venezuela’s economy currently suffering triple digit inflation and a chronic shortage of basic goods.
Last week, Coca Cola also announced a halt to some of its operations in the country due to a lack of sugar.
The deepening economic crisis has led Venezuela’s opposition to push for a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro.
So far he has refused to budge, despite efforts from several former leaders, including Spain’s ex-Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to mediate the political stand-off.