Venezuela will reduce the number of flights operated by U.S. airlines in response to the decade-long restrictions put on its airlines by the United States, aviation authorities said on Friday.

The government would reduce the number of flights available both to and from the Unite States beginning on March 1, the Venezuelan National Civil Aviation Agency (INAC) said in a statement.

The measures will affect both passenger and cargo flights, according to the statement.

The agency said the decision was made after negotiation attempts with its U.S. counterpart failed to win back internationally recognized air rights.

The United States turned down a recent call from Venezuela to lift limits put in place a decade ago on Venezuelan airlines based on safety concerns.

INAC said the International Civil Aviation Authority had audited Venezuela's airlines as part of a process undertaken to modernize the sector, which concluded that Venezuela meets 89 percent of world standards.

The audit shows that there are no legitimate reasons for U.S. authorities to restrict flights from Venezuela, the statement said.

Source: Xinhua