CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela has delayed a suspension of some U.S. passenger and cargo flights until March 30 while the government holds talks with U.S. carriers over the restrictions, authorities said Saturday.

Venezuela said this week it would halt Delta Air Lines (Research) and ?Continental Airlines (Research) flights, and restrict flights by American Airlines effective March 1 as it demanded Washington lift restrictions placed on Venezuelan carriers a decade ago.

"The date was extended to March 30 to allow the proper authorities to communicate and guarantee fair opportunities in air operations for both Venezuelan and U.S. carriers," Venezuela's INAC aviation authority said in a statement.

INAC said Venezuelan officials held talks Friday with Delta, Continental, American and other carriers over the decision it says was in response to restrictions placed on Venezuela in 1995 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Washington, already sharply at odds with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, warned Friday it would consider taking action should Caracas push ahead with the flight restrictions.

The airline spat is the latest to test relations between the United States and Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter and a key crude supplier to the U.S. market.

Venezuela has struggled for a decade to get the FAA to revise its 1995 ruling that the South American country had failed to fully comply with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards.

The U.S. agency gave Venezuela a category 2 rating, which restricted Venezuelan carrier flights to United States. Under a category 2 rating, airlines cannot expand their U.S. flight services and must lease aircraft from a category 1 country to fly to U.S. airports.

Venezuela briefly canceled direct flights by U.S. carriers in 1996 after Washington threatened to put a full ban on Venezuelan carriers flying to the United States.

Venezuela has modernized its main international airport recently and says it has now met with nearly all of International Civil Aviation Organization standards to allow it to be granted a category 1 safety rating.

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Venezuela suspends some U.S. flights. Click here.