The United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a general licence authorising most transactions with Venezuelan state-owned carrier Conviasa (V0, Caracas Simón Bolivar), albeit without removing it from the sanctions list just yet.

In a June 18, 2026, order, the US administration effectively exempted the carrier from a 2019 executive order that banned transactions with the Venezuelan government and state-owned entities in the country. The general licence applies to Conviasa and all of its subsidiaries, as well as specifically to all of its aircraft.

The general licence explicitly authorises the processing of payments, supplying parts, inspections, maintenance and repair, delivering software and technology, and "other services related to the maintenance, repair, upgrade, refurbishment, improvement, safety, or airworthiness of aircraft."

Transactions on terms that are not "commercially reasonable" include debt swaps or payment in gold or cryptocurrency (including the petro, which abducted president Nicolás Maduro aimed to deploy as a new payment system in the country) remain banned. The US also continues to ban transactions with entities that are owned or controlled by entities from Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, and China, as well as those that would benefit the Venezuelan military.

ch-aviation data shows that Conviasa's fleet comprises 25 aircraft, comprising two A340-200s, one A340-300, three A340-600s, one ACJ319-100, one ATR42-400, one B737-200, fifteen E190s, and one Lineage 1000. The majority of these, however, are inactive, partially due to long-lasting maintenance and financial challenges at the carrier. Only one A340-200, one A340-600, one ATR42-400, four E190s, and the two executive aircraft are currently active.

As of June 18, a total of 55 Venezuela-registered aircraft remain listed by OFAC as specially designated nationals, banning all transactions by US entities affecting these aircraft with the exception of those authorised under the newly issued general licence. The list includes aircraft operated by Conviasa and by PDVSA - Petróleos de Venezuela, as well as multiple aircraft that are in storage or have been parted out.

The US also authorised transactions related to a 2020 bond issued by PDVSA, the state-owned oil-and-gas holding, and transactions related to telecommunications services and the delivery of mail and packages to Venezuela.

The decision comes amid parallel discussions about a ceasefire agreement with Iran, which would encompass the lifting of sanctions on the airline industry in that country.