- Airport resumed partial operations on 1 September 2026, nearly ten weeks after the 24 June earthquake
- Four modular temporary terminals erected in external parking areas covering 10,000 square metres
- Initial schedule includes seven domestic and four international round-trip flights
- Copa Airlines and Air Europa operating initial international links
- Full permanent rebuild completion pushed to first quarter of 2027
Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar International Airport at Maiquetía has resumed partial commercial operations, nearly ten weeks after suffering catastrophic structural damage from a double earthquake on 24 June 2026. The nation’s primary aviation hub had its runways fractured and facilities severely compromised during the strongest seismic event recorded in Venezuela in over a century. The airport is currently functioning at roughly 25pc of its original operational capacity.
To facilitate the reopening while permanent reconstruction continues, authorities erected four modular temporary terminals covering 10,000 square metres in the external parking lots. The initial phase includes seven domestic and four international round-trip flights, with Copa Airlines and Air Europa operating initial international links and carriers like Iberia, Avianca and LATAM set to return shortly. Shuttle buses transport travellers from modular gates to aircraft on the tarmac.
During the ten-week closure, all domestic and international flights diverted to smaller regional facilities in Barcelona, Valencia and Maracaibo, with some alternative airports sitting up to 314 kilometres from Caracas. Over 600 security personnel are stationed at the site, and vital aeronautical services including radars, radio aids and repaired runways are fully certified and operational. Officials target 60pc capacity by the end of the year, with permanent rebuild completion pushed to the first quarter of 2027.
