The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday issued a series of flight advisories warning airlines to exercise caution when operating in the airspace over Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing potential “military activities” and navigation system interference as risks to aircraft safety. The warnings, which took effect on January 16, 2026, will remain in place for 60 days through mid-March.
According to the advisories, issued as Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), the affected regions include the Mexico Flight Information Region — encompassing airspace over the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California — as well as the flight information regions covering Central America, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and other parts of the eastern Pacific. The FAA highlighted that the combination of possible military operations and interference with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) could create a “potentially hazardous situation” for civil aviation at all altitudes, including phases of takeoff, cruise and landing.
While the FAA has not detailed the specific nature of the alleged military activities, the advisories come amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the region. In early January, a U.S. military operation in Venezuela resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on narco-terrorism charges, an event that followed months of U.S. military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. These operations, and comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting possible military actions against drug cartels — including in Mexico — appear to form the broader context for increased aerial caution.
