Temporary terminals at Maiquetía airport will allow commercial flights to resume as repairs continue after June’s earthquakes.
Avianca and Copa Airlines will resume flights to Caracas on Sept. 1, restoring commercial air links to Venezuela’s capital after the June earthquakes forced the suspension of passenger operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.
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The airport will restart commercial flights through temporary terminals while repairs continue following the two earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude.
Avianca will operate a daily service between Bogotá and Caracas after suspending the route on June 24. The Colombian airline said the decision followed a comprehensive assessment of operating and safety conditions conducted with Venezuelan authorities.
The airline has also launched a daily route between Bogotá and Maracaibo, adding to its existing service between Bogotá and Valencia, which had provided an alternative after Maiquetía was closed. Together, the routes will give Avianca more than 7,500 seats a week in Airbus A320 aircraft with capacity for 180 passengers.
“Today we are pleased to announce this strengthening of our operation, which is a clear sign of Avianca’s commitment to facilitating connections between people, supporting business development and providing access to new opportunities in the region,” said David Alemán, Avianca’s sales director for South America.
Copa Airlines will also resume its Caracas service, completing its network of destinations in Venezuela with the return of flights between Panama City and Caracas.
The Panamanian airline will operate one daily flight between Maiquetía and Panama City, bringing its total to 29 weekly frequencies between Panama and Venezuela. Its network will again cover Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia, Barquisimeto and Barcelona.
Copa continued flying to Valencia, Barquisimeto and Barcelona in the weeks after the earthquakes, while its Caracas service remained suspended pending the availability of temporary facilities at Maiquetía.
“We are very pleased to reincorporate Maiquetía airport into our network of destinations. Caracas is a route we have operated for almost 29 years and, before the earthquakes, we served it with three daily flights,” said Roberto Pulido, Copa Airlines’ general manager in Venezuela.
Pulido said the restored daily service would help return international connectivity to passengers in Caracas and nearby areas. Copa will continue operating two daily flights to and from Valencia on a temporary basis.
The reopening of passenger facilities follows Maiquetía’s resumption of cargo operations on Aug. 5, marking the first stage in the airport’s gradual return to service after the damage caused by the June earthquakes.
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