On January 16, 2026, USA Today reported that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued warnings for airlines flying over Central and South America.
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The FAA reached out to USA Today to share a statement that outlines the current advisory. It reads in part, “The FAA issued flight advisory Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for specified areas of Mexico, Central American, Panama, Bogata, Guayaquil, and Mazatlán Oceanic Flight Regions, and in airspace within the eastern Pacific Ocean.”
Since releasing the statement to the media outlet, the FAA hasn’t responded to questions regarding the announcement. Meanwhile, major US carriers like JetBlue, Spirit, Delta, American, and United have all been issued a similar alert.
Here’s what we know about the FAA’s flight advisory for Central and South America.
Inside the FAA’s flight advisory—what do we know and how long will it go on?
The current FAA flight advisory began on January 16 and will be in effect for 60 days. So far, there’s no report on what prompted the FAA to release the statement, meaning it could be chalked up to ongoing tensions or there might have been an incident that caused the alert. Following the US’s military intervention in Venezuela, some government officials have mentioned interest in nearby Colombia.
On January 16, Mexico’s military responded to the FAA’s advisory by clarifying that the alert does not apply to Mexican airspace. In short, flights and aviation practices in Mexico aren’t part of the FAA’s warning.
Instead, the FAA could be warning of further military action in the region. During the US’s intervention in Venezuela, thousands of flights were canceled or delayed across the Caribbean. It’s likely that the FAA is hinting that the US military could suspend more commercial flights in a bid to control the region’s airspace.
