American Airlines plans to return to Venezuela with daily flights to the South American nation, pending regulatory approval.

American is working with the U.S. federal government on a security assessment and to obtain the necessary permissions. 

The airline is the first to announce plans to resume U.S.-Venezuela flying since U.S. armed forces captured ex-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a Jan. 3 raid.   

American last flew to Venezuela in early 2019, operating routes from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo. Venezuelan carriers Avior and Estelar also connected the two countries until May 2019, when the DOT ordered a halt to nonstop U.S.-Venezuela flights.