Venezuela has been showing irresponsibility to treat airlines that have got their $4billion trapped in the country, claims a leading industry. It is said that the government of Nicolas Maduro needs to sell airline tickets in the bolivar currency. His government is not allowing airline industries to repatriate the earnings and turning deaf ear to their legitimate demands.
On the other hand, the government of Nicolas Maduro said that “we are going to release $2.1 billion in hard currency to companies and airlines are going to receive $486 million of the total earmarked”. Besides, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has categorically said that the proposals are unsatisfactory and government of Venezuela has failed to act responsibly.
IATA Director General Tony Tyler said in a meeting to 200 airlines executives that “airlines are supposed to accept a good discount”. Air Canada said in the meeting that we are going to halt our operations due to security concern and other airlines are also closing their operations.
Furthermore, Tyler said in a statement that “you cannot expect airlines to provide services for free however we request to Venezuela government to act according to rules and regulations”. He further opined that most of the airlines are not accepting the terms being offered by Venezuelan government however they are cancelling their operations.
Lastly, Europe’s largest airline Lufthansa had closed Venezuela’s ticket sales for two days and claimed that the airline owes millions of dollars from the Venezuelan government.