World News
Venezuela's primary international airport partially reopens after deadly earthquakes
Simón Bolívar International Airport restarted limited commercial service using a temporary terminal following extensive damage from June tremors.
The short version
- Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas partially resumed commercial flights nearly 10 weeks after devastating June earthquakes.
- Operations are running out of a 10,000-square-meter temporary structure in the parking lot capable of processing 2,168 travelers daily.
- Initial schedules include seven domestic and four international round-trip routes, targeting an initial 25% recovery of pre-disaster capacity.
- Authorities plan to expand capacity to 60% by late 2026 or early 2027 as permanent repair efforts continue.
Key facts
- Simón Bolívar International Airport in La Guaira state reopened on a limited basis on Tuesday following its closure from magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24.[Associated Press]
- The June earthquakes caused over 6,500 deaths, left around 17,900 people without homes, and inflicted severe damage on the airport's runways, control tower, and passenger terminals.[Associated Press]
- The airport is operating through a 10,000-square-meter temporary metal facility set up in the parking lot with a daily capacity of 2,168 passengers.[Associated Press]
- Transportation Minister Francisco Garcés stated the initial phase restores roughly 25% of pre-earthquake traffic, with projections of 40% in a few months and 60% by late 2026 or early 2027.[Associated Press]
- Initial flights consist of seven domestic routes alongside four international round trips operated by Copa Airlines and Air Europa, with carriers such as Iberia slated to resume service in following days.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The exact timeline for completing permanent repairs to the damaged primary terminal buildings, control tower, and runways remains unspecified.[Associated Press]