en.Wedoany.com Reported - Lufthansa plans to strengthen its presence in the South Atlantic market through its soon-to-be 90%-owned subsidiary ITA Airways, having confirmed the launch of a direct route from Rome to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The route is considered highly profitable within the industry, though Venezuela has not always been a reliable partner for foreign airlines.

Venezuela recently experienced a strong earthquake, with the official death toll rising to 2,595. Flight operations at Caracas airport resumed several days ago, and foreign aid is arriving. The South American country is going through a turbulent period, with strongman Nicolás Maduro having stepped down only six months ago, and Venezuela's political landscape is being reshaped.

Under the new government, hopes are growing for better reconnection with international air transport. Lufthansa is likely to have ITA Airways take the lead; this airline, in which Lufthansa will soon hold a 90% stake, will advance the Lufthansa Group's operations in the South Atlantic through its Rome hub. Caracas is a key link in this strategy. ITA CEO Jörg Eberhart publicly unveiled the Caracas plan in spring, calling Venezuela an "important market." According to ANSA news agency, Eberhart stated that during the Alitalia era, the Rome-Caracas route was "one of the most profitable long-haul routes" in the network.

ITA Airways already has an advantage in South American routes within the Lufthansa Group, thanks to the large number of Italian immigrants. Its current route network covers cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires. According to sources familiar with the matter, in addition to Caracas, ITA is also evaluating other South American destinations, including Lima and Santiago.

In the past, Venezuela has not been a reliable partner for Lufthansa and other airline groups. Due to foreign exchange shortages, the country has repeatedly failed to pay billions of dollars in ticket revenue. Lufthansa decisively suspended its Frankfurt-Caracas route in 2016, which had been a fixed route since 1971, citing "difficult economic conditions" and the inability to "convert local currency positions into US dollars." The bolivars obtained from ticket sales in local currency were nearly worthless for Lufthansa. It is reported that Venezuela has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in funds from the Lufthansa Group alone.

After Maduro's departure, the U.S. government began monitoring payment flows. According to media reports, at the end of May 2026, Venezuela instructed international airlines to deposit payments for aviation fuel made in foreign currencies into escrow accounts at the U.S. Treasury Department.