Venezuela will postpone a ban on US flights until March 30, the National Civil Aviation Institute (INAC) said on Sunday.

The INAC said in a statement on its website that the measure to prohibit flights starting March 1 by Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and to restrict flights by American Airlines, will be put off for a month.

The postponement "will allow communication channels to be established between the competent authorities in order to guarantee equal opportunities in air operations for both Venezuelan and North American airlines," the aviation authority said.

The airlines and the US Embassy in Caracas have said they are willing to collaborate with Venezuelan officials to resolve the problem, the statement said.

The US government has also proposed that talks be held between aviation officials from both countries, it said.

The Venezuelan Airlines Association welcomed the decision by the INAC, saying it was a gesture of goodwill that should help the negotiations.

On Wednesday, the INAC announced a substantial reduction in US-Venezuela flights to be implemented by March 1.

In mid-1990s, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Venezuela from Category 1 to Category 2 and restricted some flights by Venezuelan carriers to the United States because it said the country did not meet international safety standards.

Venezuelan officials said that since then they have made safety improvement that has not been recognized by the US authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2006)