US cautions Venezuela on plan to curb flights

CARACAS, Venezuela, Mar 14 (Reuters) The United States will suspend flights by Venezuelan airlines if Caracas carries out a threat this month to ban or restrict US carriers flying to Venezuela, the US ambassador said today.

Venezuela's civil aviation authority, INAC, announced in February it would restrict or suspend access for US airlines unless the US Federal Aviation Administration lifts decade-old limits put on Venezuelan airlines for safety concerns.

''Hopefully that will not happen, because if that happens, it is not only possible or probable, but an absolute certainty the US government and Transport Department would suspend flights by Venezuelan airlines,'' Ambassador William Brownfield said.

The FAA has proposed meetings with Venezuelan officials for April 17 to discuss the dispute.

The Venezuelan restrictions would trim flights by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and completely halt operations by Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines, should they take effect.

The airline spat is testing already strained relations between oil supplier Venezuela and the United States, which has clashed frequently with President Hugo Chavez over his ties to Cuba and his promotion of socialist revolution in the region.

Reuters SK VP0145