OTHER NEWS - Aug. 8, 1996

Venezuelan Airlines May Lose U.S. Landing Rights: The Federal Aviation Administration is completing a review of the airlines that could result in a mandatory suspension of flights by Venezuelan carriers to the U.S., Venezuelan officials said. Fears of a suspension heightened after Monday’s check of three Venezuelan jets in Miami. One jet was subsequently detained by the FAA for alleged safety violations, the officials said. Safety concerns about Venezuela’s airlines have mounted in the last year as exchange restrictions, which were lifted April 22, limited the airlines’ abilities to purchase spare parts and maintain their aging fleets. Venezuelan carriers operate about a dozen flights to the U.S. daily.