The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, has issued General License 45A, enabling Venezuelan state-owned airline Conviasa to conduct maintenance operations on its Embraer fleet.
This license marks a substantial shift from the previously stringent restrictions, offering a lifeline for the airline’s operational capabilities.
As stated in the license, «all transactions…necessary to the general maintenance (including repair) of the blocked aircraft…are authorized.»
The aircraft authorized comprises 16 Embraer 190 (15 passenger E190 IGW and one converted to executive Lineage 1000 190 ECJ), with an average fleet age of 13 years, as first was built in 2008 and last in 2012.
Repatriation Flights: A Humanitarian Gesture
This license also facilitates the repatriation of Venezuelan citizens from non-U.S. jurisdictions in the Western Hemisphere. It specifically authorizes «all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the repatriation of Venezuelan nationals…exclusively for the purposes of such repatriation.»
Recalling the seizure of Emtrasur’s Boeing 747 in Buenos Aires in 2022, this new license seems to be a positive step towards easing the strained aviation relations between the U.S. and Venezuela.
Impact on Venezuelan Aviation
OFAC plays a pivotal role in regulating international transactions involving U.S. entities. Their regulations significantly impact the global aviation sector, especially in sanction-laden regions.
Industry experts view this development as a potential gateway to reopening international destinations from and to Venezuela. However, the future hinges on continued dialogue between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments.
The license affirms, «This general license does not authorize any transactions otherwise prohibited…including any transactions involving any person blocked pursuant to the VSR other than the blocked persons or blocked aircraft described.»
VSR stands for Venezuela Sanctions Regulations. These regulations are part of the United States’ sanctions program, which targets specific activities and transactions related to the Venezuelan government or certain Venezuelan nationals and entities, as well as restrictions on dealings with certain sectors of the Venezuelan economy.
