US inspection of Venezuelan air security at final stages
A U.S. delegation was in the closing stages of an air security inspection in Venezuela, which could determine whether U.S. carriers would be banned from flying to the South American country, officials said Wednesday.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) banned commercial jets registered in Venezuela 10 years ago due to violations of safety procedures, forcing the country's airlines to charter aircraft and staff from approved airlines for U.S. flights.

However, the International Civil Aviation Organization issued an inspection report in 2004, saying Venezuela had restructured and modernized its airlines and security procedures.

In response, Venezuela said it would implement a drastically reduced schedule of flights to the United States beginning on Thursday, targeting U.S.-owned airlines, because the FAA had failed to upgrade the nation's airlines' security rating. Venezuela had planned to prohibit all flights by Delta and Continental and allow the United States only three flights per week.

"We have had a very good hearing, the results [of which] will determine if the Venezuelan government will carry out its threat to suspend U.S. airlines' flights," FAA representative Michael Daniel said.

"We will return to the U.S. when our work is done," he added, declining to say how long the inspections would take.

The FAA inspected Venezuela's largest airline Aeropostal on Wednesday to check its security systems. The security report will be sent to Washington where officials will decide if the systems meet U.S. security standards.