FAA issues 60-day warning for pilots flying over eastern Pacific due to ‘military activities’

America’s aviation regulator has urged US aircraft operators to exercise caution when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, citing ongoing "military activities" and satellite navigation interference.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), warning that "potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and the arrival and departure phases of flight."

These warnings, which began on Friday, are set to remain in effect for 60 days and cover Mexico, Central American countries, Ecuador, Colombia, and specific areas of airspace within the eastern Pacific.

The advisory follows nearly four months of U.S. military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, which the U.S. alleged were trafficking drugs.

According to the Trump administration, 35 known strikes resulted in at least 115 fatalities. This period culminated in a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela, during which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended and transported to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.

Tensions between the US and regional leaders have intensified since the Trump administration initiated a significant military build-up in the southern Caribbean, attacked Venezuela, and seized its president in a military operation.

Trump has also raised the possibility of further military actions in the area, including against Colombia. Last week, he suggested that drug cartels were controlling Mexico and that the US could launch strikes against land targets to combat them, as part of a series of threats to deploy US military force against cartels.

Mexico responded to the FAA’s advisory, clarifying it was merely a precaution and did not restrict Mexican airspace or airlines. The ministry stated that the notice applies solely to US operators, and aviation operations within Mexico remain unaffected.

Following the operation in Venezuela, the FAA restricted flights across the Caribbean, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights by major airlines.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed this week that there had been good coordination between the agency and the U.S. military prior to the Venezuela operation.

The previous month, a JetBlue passenger jet bound for New York was forced to take evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with a US Air Force tanker plane near Venezuela. JetBlue Flight 1112, departing from Curacao, was approximately 40 miles (60 km) off the Venezuelan coast when its Airbus aircraft reported encountering the Air Force jet, which did not have its transponder switched on.