(Yicai) Jan. 6 -- Conviasa Airlines, Venezuela’s flag carrier, scrubbed the only direct scheduled flight between China and Venezuela after the United States carried out a military strike on the South American country and seized its president.

Flight VCV771/V0771, which was due to depart from Guangzhou at 3 a.m. yesterday for the Venezuelan capital Caracas, was canceled, Maiquetía-based Conviasa announced through its official WeChat account on Jan. 3, citing force majeure.

The flight, which refuels in Moscow, takes nearly 30 hours and flies only every two weeks. Since the route was opened in December 2024, 26 flights have made the journey, transporting 2,331 passengers and more than 300 tons of cargo, promoting economic, trade, and cultural exchange between the two countries.

Conviasa issued an updated notice on Jan. 4, telling passengers that flight V0771, the Guangzhou to Moscow segment, would be resumed, though the onward leg to Caracas would not carry passengers.

With the direct route halted, it is very hard for passengers in China to reach Venezuela. There are no available direct or connecting flights before Jan. 11, and after that, anyone traveling from China to Venezuela will need to make three transfers on a journey lasting more than 40 hours.

The last flight from Caracas to Guangzhou arrived on Jan. 4. The next VCV770/V0770 flight is scheduled for Jan. 16 and is listed as operational, but whether it actually takes off is uncertain.

The US launched a surprise military attack on Venezuela on Jan. 3, capturing and taking away President Nicolás Maduro Moros and his wife. Before that, the US had imposed sanctions on Conviasa, making it hard for the airline to obtain original parts from aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing, putting sustained strain on maintenance of its in-service fleet.

There were no casualties among the staff of Chinese enterprises active in Venezuela during the US raid, Xinhua News Agency reported. China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a reminder on Jan. 3 that US action in Venezuela had significantly raised security risks in the country.

The ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Caracas urged Chinese citizens not to travel to the country for the time being, and advised those already there to closely monitor the security situation, strengthen precautionary and emergency preparedness, limit outings to essential needs only, and avoid conflict zones and sensitive areas.

Editor: Futura Costaglione