Reconstruction work undergoing at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, following the damage sustained in the June 24 earthquakes. Photo: EFE.
The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, provided details on the progress of infrastructure recovery work for the complete restoration of commercial operations at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, in the state of La Guaira, following the severe damage caused by the June 24 earthquakes.
The acting president added that through the “Venezuela Reborn” plan, authorities are constructing a temporary terminal in record time.
This provisional infrastructure will be equipped with check-in areas, immigration control, customs, and baggage claim belts, in order to ensure smooth service for users as soon as passenger traffic resumes.
“This is how we are progressing toward the prompt restoration of operations at Maiquetía International Airport,” she noted. “At the same time, we are working on the recovery of the permanent structures of this airport for the interconnectivity of the country.”
The works are part of the Venezuela Reborn Plan and are being carried out by hundreds of workers with the aim of building the temporary terminal in record time, ensuring logistical and material standards for efficient service for travelers.
In parallel with the activation of the temporary terminal, the authorities are continuing rehabilitation and reinforcement work on the permanent structures of the country’s main airport to ensure the full operability of the national and international air transport network.
Simultaneously, proposals have been presented in recent days to convert the Libertador Air Base in the city of Maracay, Aragua state, into the next main international airport of Venezuela in the medium term.
During the days following the earthquakes on June 24, the United States Army, under the pretext of humanitarian support, established temporary camps at the airport that housed US military forces. That contingent withdrew on July 26, as announced by the US Southern Command.
Progressive reopening
The work on the temporary terminal coincides with the start of the first phase of the airport’s operational reactivation, which resumed its international cargo flights on Wednesday, August 5.
The process began with the arrival of a Boeing 737-300F belonging to the airline Uniworld from Panama, which unloaded 13.9 tons of cargo and returned with approximately 5 tons of Venezuelan exports.
The Ministry of Transport, on that occasion, noted that the resumption of cargo operations aims to strengthen the national and international logistics system to optimize the flow of supplies in the country. However, commercial passenger flights remain suspended at the airport.
Venezuela’s Acting President Announces Plan to Resume Flights From Maiquetía Airport
Damage from the earthquake and rerouting toward Valencia
The two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 caused significant damage to the runway and the passenger terminals of the Maiquetía airport.
Due to the shutdown of the airport, most airlines operating in the country have temporarily rerouted their flights to the Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia, Carabobo state.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SH
