The German airline, Lufthansa, has announced that it will suspend flights to Venezuela from 18 June due to economic difficulties in the country, the BBC reported on Sunday.

The company also said currency controls in Venezuela made it impossible for airlines to convert their earnings into dollars and send the money abroad.

Venezuela's economy has been hit hard by a sharp drop in the price of oil - the country's main source of income.

Venezuela has high inflation and severe shortages of basic goods.

In a statement, Lufthansa said that it "will be forced to suspend our service between Caracas and Frankfurt as of 18 June".

It noted that the demand for international flights to Venezuela had dropped in 2015 and in the first quarter of the current year.

However, it said it hoped to restore services in the near future.

Source: MENA