17 hours ago
The JetBlue aircraft, Flight 1112, had departed from Curaao, a small Caribbean island just off the coast of Venezuela, and was bound for New York's John F. Kennedy Airport when the incident occurred.
There were no reports of injuries, and the JetBlue flight continued safely to its destination after the climb was halted. (File Photo: Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 15, 2025 06:06 IST
A JetBlue passenger flight narrowly avoided a midair collision with a US air force refuelling aircraft near Venezuelan airspace on Friday, forcing the commercial jet to halt its climb, The Guardian reported, citing air traffic control recordings.
The JetBlue aircraft, Flight 1112, had departed from Curaao, a small Caribbean island just off the coast of Venezuela, and was bound for New York's John F. Kennedy Airport when the incident occurred.
During the flight, the JetBlue pilot alerted air traffic control that a US military aircraft had crossed directly into the jet's flight path at the same altitude.
"We almost had a midair collision up here," the pilot said, according to a recording of the exchange reported by The Guardian. "They passed directly in our flight path ... They don't have their transponder turned on, it's outrageous."
In a later transmission, the pilot added, "We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us – maybe 2 or 3 miles – but it was an air-to air-refueler from the United States air force and he was at our altitude. We had to stop our climb."
The pilot also said the military aircraft then moved into Venezuelan airspace.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CONFIRMS CONCERN
Air traffic controllers acknowledged the danger during the exchange, with one controller responding: "It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air."
The recordings flagged concern among both pilots and controllers about unidentified or untracked aircraft operating in a busy flight corridor near Venezuela, an area that has seen increased military activity in recent months.
JetBlue confirmed the incident and said it had been formally reported to authorities.
"We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation," said Derek Dombrowski, as per The Guardian.
He added, "Our crew members are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations, and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting this situation to our leadership team."
There were no reports of injuries, and the JetBlue flight continued safely to its destination after the climb was halted.
The incident comes amid heightened US military operations in the Caribbean region, including airstrikes targeting suspected drug smugglers. At the same time, Washington has stepped up pressure on Venezuela's government.
Last month, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning advising American aircraft to "exercise caution" when operating in or near Venezuelan airspace, citing "the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela."
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Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Dec 15, 2025
