- Caracas Simón Bolívar closed on 24 June after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela.
- The civil aviation authority issued a Notice to Air Missions closing the airport main runway 10R 28L tentatively until 2 July.
- Videos circulating on social media showed significant structural damage to terminals and runways.
- Copa Airlines suspended all flights to Caracas Barquisimeto Valencia Arturo Michelena International and Barcelona José Antonio Anzoátegui until further notice.
It has expected that expect that it will take several months before Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) in Caracas, Venezuela, can fully restore its normal operations and safely welcome back commercial passenger flights.
The airport was shut down after sustaining severe structural damage from catastrophic twin earthquakes that struck the northern coast of Venezuela on June 24, 2026 and is currently closed for all regular commercial operations and is only partially reopened for emergency humanitarian aid flights.
Only one critical runway has been repaired and reopened. It is restricted to military transport planes (like C-17s) and authorised humanitarian missions delivering mobile hospitals, rescue teams, and supplies.
The civil aviation authority issued a Notice to Air Missions that closes the main runway 10R 28L originally until 2 July and then extended. The secondary runway 9 27 remains formally open.
The airport serves 22 carriers including Laser Airlines, Avior Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca and Turkish Airlines. Interim president Delcy Rodríguez confirmed extensive damage to the airport infrastructure on 24 June. Videos on social media showed significant structural damage to terminals and runways. At least 164 people died and more than 900 sustained injuries after the twin earthquakes struck 39 seconds apart. Rodríguez provided no timeline for reopening.
Copa Airlines suspended all flights to Caracas Barquisimeto Valencia Arturo Michelena International and Barcelona José Antonio Anzoátegui until further notice on 25 June. The disaster occurred just as U.S.-Venezuela air links were actively rebounding following a lifting of airspace restrictions. Carriers have had to quickly alter their schedules,
American Airlines has officially suspended all commercial passenger services to Caracas through at least July 10, 2026. They are offering travel waivers, refunds, and fare caps for impacted travelers. However, the airline did operate a specialized Boeing 737 humanitarian relief flight from Miami into the operational runway
United Airlines had previously announced plans to launch nonstop service from Houston to Caracas in August 2026. The airline stated they are keeping their schedule unchanged for now while monitoring the rebuilding progress.
The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) deployed 100 military aviation specialists to help local authorities manage air traffic from the control tower. All standard commercial passenger routes remain indefinitely suspended.
The structural damage also triggered massive utility and internet outages, rendering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ online systems for visa applications and apostille requests entirely unavailable
