Venezuela moves to reopen Caracas airport for commercial flights

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has announced plans to reopen the country’s main international airport for commercial flights using an alternative runway as recovery efforts continue after last month’s devastating earthquakes.

Simon Bolivar International Airport, located in La Guaira north of Caracas, suffered significant damage during the twin earthquakes that struck on 24 June.

The region was at the centre of the disaster, which destroyed residential buildings and has claimed nearly 3,700 lives.

The airport has remained partially operational to receive humanitarian flights delivering emergency aid, but the government now aims to restore commercial services as quickly as possible.

In a message posted on Telegram, Rodriguez said she had instructed authorities to immediately implement an alternative operational plan that would allow commercial aircraft to use the airport’s parallel runway while repair work continues.

The reopening effort is being supported by US military personnel and technical experts, who are assisting with repairs at both the airport and the nearby port in La Guaira to improve the flow of humanitarian supplies and reconstruction equipment.

Speaking during a conference call with reporters, US Embassy Charge d’Affaires John Barrett said discussions were already under way with American airlines about resuming commercial services. However, he noted that further infrastructure work was still required before normal airport operations could restart and did not provide a timetable.

US Southern Command chief General Francis Donovan said American military personnel continued to assist with air traffic control and cargo handling at the airport.

Around 2,000 US troops remain deployed in Venezuela as part of the international disaster relief operation, with military aircraft regularly transporting aid and personnel.

Nearly two weeks after the powerful magnitude 7.3 and 7.5 earthquakes, international search and rescue teams are gradually ending operations as hopes of finding more survivors fade.

Families continue searching through collapsed buildings in an effort to recover the bodies of missing relatives.

The Venezuelan government said on Tuesday that the death toll had risen to 3,685, while almost 17,000 people had been injured.

Rodriguez has defended the government’s handling of the disaster, although some families have criticised the pace of the initial rescue effort, saying they were forced to search for loved ones without sufficient assistance before international teams arrived.

Thousands of survivors remain displaced, with many living in temporary shelters or tents outside damaged buildings.

In the Caraballeda district of La Guaira, heavy machinery continues to clear the ruins of collapsed apartment blocks.

Among those waiting nearby is 66-year-old Lazaro Rubio, whose wife and two stepdaughters remain trapped beneath the rubble. His 11-year-old stepson survived the earthquake and has since been taken to Caracas, while recovery teams continue searching the site.