Venezuela's Simón Bolívar International Airport Reopens Two Months After June 24 Double Earthquake

Venezuela's Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía reopened on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, two months after a double earthquake on June 24 destroyed its facilities, killed more than 6,500 people and left nearly 18,000 homeless. The airport had operated only humanitarian flights since the quake cracked its main runway, which required reconditioning before commercial operations could resume; cargo flights restarted August 5.

On its first day back, the terminal was scheduled to dispatch eight flights — four international and four domestic — beginning with a domestic departure to Valera. A Conviasa flight to Mexico City had departed the previous Monday around 10 a.m. local time, followed roughly 30 minutes later by a Global Crossing aircraft arriving from Miami. Four temporary modular terminals covering about 10,000 square metres were built near the parking area, capable of serving 2,168 passengers per day with check-in, baggage handling, security, migration, boarding, connectivity, restrooms, medical and food service.

Transport Minister Francisco Garcés said the temporary terminals are already running at 70% of capacity and confirmed runways and aeronautical services, including radio aids and radars, are fully operational. Vice Minister of Citizen Security Endes Palencia said about 600 security personnel will be deployed at the terminal. Airlines including Iberia, Copa, Avianca, Latam, American Airlines, Gol, Air Europa, Plus Ultra, Conviasa and Laser have resumed or are set to resume operations this week.

During the closure, passengers were diverted to the smaller international airports in Barcelona, Valencia and Maracaibo, since Simón Bolívar serves as Venezuela's primary international gateway and anchors nearly all domestic routes. Authorities initially suggested permanent reconstruction could finish by the end of 2026, but discussions now point to the first quarter of 2027.