Venezuela plans to resume commercial flights in Caracas soon

Delsy Rodriguez, who inspected the restoration work at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía on Monday, announced an 'immediate plan for the swift resumption of commercial flights,' but did not specify the expected timeline for resuming operations.

Airport Status and Earthquake Aftermath

These statements were relayed by the state broadcaster Venezuelan Television, which showed equipment installed on the earthquake-damaged runway. The earthquakes also caused serious damage to the terminal located in the affected region of La Guaira, in northern Venezuela, near Caracas.

The head of state ordered the closure of the airport immediately following the earthquakes. Since then, several airlines have diverted their operations to the Venezuelan city of Valencia, the capital of Carabobo state (in the north), which is 172 kilometers from Caracas by land.

Flight Resumption and International Aid

The Spanish airline Iberia announced on Monday that it will resume regular flights to Venezuela on Thursday, which had been suspended since June 26 due to the earthquakes. This carrier will operate two weekly flights between the Spanish capital Madrid and Valencia International Airport, with departures scheduled for Thursdays and Sundays. Return flights to Madrid will make a technical stop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

On Saturday, Delsy Rodriguez announced an international alliance for the restoration of Maiquetía Airport, although she did not provide details of the plan, which is expected to be completed this week. The President also stated that the process of restoring damaged airports would begin, without naming specific facilities, and that all air infrastructure would be upgraded.

International Response and Casualties

On June 29, the International Air Transport Association expressed its desire to restore regular operations at Venezuela's main airport as soon as possible, even using temporary infrastructure, and offered technical support to the government of Caracas. The earthquakes resulted in the deaths of at least 3,535 people and injuries to 16,740 people in Venezuela, according to the latest official report.

Among the deceased are at least 96 Portuguese nationals and descendants, and another 60 people are considered missing or unreachable. Several countries, including Portugal and other European Union member states, have sent search and rescue teams to Venezuela. The base of operations for the Portuguese earthquake response mission is located in Catia-la-Mar, in La Guaira, an area with a high concentration of Portuguese nationals and descendants and one of the most affected.

Earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurred 200 kilometers from Caracas with less than a minute interval and were accompanied by hundreds of aftershocks.