Photo: courtesy of the Venezuelan flight carrier Conviasa

A flight scheduled on Monday from Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province to Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela was canceled due to "unavoidable circumstances," the flight carrier Conviasa, the largest airline of Venezuela, announced on its official WeChat account on Saturday.

Conviasa's China customer service told the Global Times on Sunday that the flight was canceled due to an unstable international situation and security considerations. Passengers will be offered full refunds or rebooking. Tickets for the Guangzhou-Moscow leg remain unaffected, while the Moscow-Caracas segment has been canceled, with the aircraft returning to Venezuela without passengers. Relevant notices have been issued to airport counters and published on the airline's official WeChat account.

"V0771/05JAN/03:00 departure flight from Guangzhou will cancel due to force majeure, please kindly contact your ticket agent or platform to refund or change subjected ticket. We are sorry about the inconvenience occurred! Appreciated for all patience and cooperation!" according to its WeChat account.

The customer service added that the flight operates on a biweekly round-trip basis, and the return flight from Venezuela to China is currently scheduled to operate normally, with a departure date of January 16. Passengers are advised to closely follow the latest updates, as the airline will promptly notify them of any changes.

The V0770 flight from Caracas to Guangzhou landed safely on the morning of January 4, according to Conviasa.

The route was the first direct flight route between the two countries, according to an announcement by the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela on June 28, 2024.

On Saturday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela issued a statement and advised Chinese citizens to temporarily refrain from traveling to Venezuela amid rising security risks due to the US' military strikes against the Latin American country on Saturday. 

Chinese nationals and institutions currently in Venezuela are advised to closely monitor the local security situation, strengthen safety precautions and emergency preparedness, and avoid unnecessary outings, according to the statement. They are also urged to stay well away from conflict zones or sensitive areas.

In case of emergency, Chinese citizens are advised to report to local police immediately and contact the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela for assistance, said the statement.