Ecuador airline TAME has temporarily suspended its direct flights to CCS because it is owed about USD$43 million for ticket sales held by Venezuela's central bank.

A wide range of industries in Venezuela say they are waiting for the currency control authorities to disburse billions of dollars in hard currency. Airlines say they are owed about USD$3.3 billion between them and some have cut back on flights.

"When we receive the money owed to TAME, we will restart the flights immediately," the Ecuadorean airline said in a statement issued late on Thursday.
TAME, the only Ecuador carrier that operated daily flights between UIO and CCS said the USD$43 million was from ticket sales in Venezuela since April 2013. It said passengers who bought tickets for suspended flights would be reimbursed.