JetBlue plane avoids mid-air collision with US Air Force plane near Venezuela – National
A JetBlue Airways pilot narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force military plane that entered his flight path Friday while traveling near Venezuela, according to the airline.
“We almost had a mid-air collision here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. “They flew directly into our flight path… They don’t have their transponder on. It’s outrageous.”
JetBlue Flight 1112 took off from the Caribbean island of Curacao, bound for New York’s JFK Airport.
“We just had some traffic pass right in front of us within five miles of us – maybe two or three miles – but it was a US Air Force air-to-air tanker and it was at our altitude. We had to stop our climb,” the pilot said.
“It has been scandalous with the unidentified aircraft in our air. You are absolutely right, sir,” the controller replied.
“We had to stop our climb and just descend to avoid hitting them,” the pilot told the controller. “We’ll report on our end as well, but they didn’t have their transponders on, so you have no way of seeing them.”
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The U.S. Air Force plane then headed toward Venezuelan airspace, the pilot said.
Derek Dombrowski, a JetBlue spokesman, said the company had “reported this incident to federal authorities and will assist in any investigation.”
“Our crew members are trained in proper procedures for various flight situations, and we appreciate our crew for quickly reporting this situation to our management team,” he added in a statement to the New York Times.
U.S. Southern Command told ABC News in a statement that it is “aware of recent news reports regarding U.S. military air operations in the Caribbean” and is “currently reviewing the matter.”
“Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who operate in accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements. Safety remains a top priority and we are working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation,” the agency added.
The Federal Aviation Administration warned U.S. aircraft last month to “exercise caution” when in Venezuelan airspace “due to the deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela.”
The FAA continues to warn pilots of the dangers of increased military activity, and most commercial airlines have avoided Venezuelan airspace for years due to security risks.
US President Donald Trump said the airspace “above and around Venezuela” should be considered closed. He posted the statement on his Truth Social account, but gave no further details.
“To all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers, please consider that the airspace above and around Venezuela is closed in its entirety,” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The comment comes as the Trump administration has ramped up military operations in the Caribbean as part of what it calls a broader campaign to target drug trafficking into the United States.
— With files from Prisha Dev of Global News
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
