Maiquetía Airport to resume cargo operations

Venezuela's Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía will resume both inbound and outbound air cargo operations on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the Ministry of People's Power for Transportation and the Maiquetía International Airport Institute (IAIM) the autonomous state body that manages and operates the airport announced Friday, July 31. This marks the first phase of a phased reopening after the airport was shut down for 42 days following two back-to-back earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, that struck the La Guaira coast on June 24.

Simón Bolívar International Airport, commonly known as Maiquetía Airport, is located in La Guaira, on Venezuela's northern coast, roughly 26 kilometres from Caracas. It is Venezuela's principal international gateway and the only airport serving the capital, identified by the codes CCS (IATA) and SVMI (ICAO).

IAIM said the move reflects a "progressive restoration of airport services" and confirmed operations will comply with national and international civil aviation safety, security, and efficiency standards. IAIM General Director Aníbal Bellorín Pereira reaffirmed his commitment to safe, quality service for all operators, and urged commercial concessions to coordinate the necessary work to resume activity.

The June 24 earthquakes caused extensive structural damage across the facility. The primary runway, 10R/28L, suffered deep structural cracks that made it unsafe for commercial aircraft. Commercial airlines were barred from the airport entirely and diverted to Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia, the capital of Carabobo state, roughly 160 kilometres west of Caracas.

While commercial traffic was suspended, Maiquetía itself remained partially operational as a restricted military and emergency air bridge, using an alternate runway that had not suffered the same structural damage as the primary strip. Heavy cargo aircraft including Russian cargo planes and US Air Force C-17 Globemasters landed on this alternate runway to deliver emergency equipment, food, and medicine. Foreign military teams flew in complete mobile field hospitals to treat injured citizens. The US Air Force's 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed on-site to work with Venezuelan aviation authorities on structurally evaluating runway safety and managing the wave of incoming humanitarian flights. Separately, global logistics networks including an Amazon-sponsored humanitarian air bridge from Miami were authorised to fly in weekly loads of shelter kits, hygiene supplies, and tools, also using this same alternate runway.

The August 5 cargo resumption will use that same previously restricted alternate runway, which has since been formally inspected and certified for heavy aircraft operations, after the humanitarian relief flights demonstrated its safety over the preceding weeks. Because cargo operations require only the runway and cargo-handling infrastructure, they can restart well ahead of passenger services, which depend on fully functioning terminal facilities, security screening, immigration processing, and baggage systems.

Commercial passenger flights are scheduled to return separately on mid-late August, using a temporary terminal while repairs continue on the main passenger building. The restart is also expected to restore momentum to Venezuela's broader aviation recovery, which had been gaining pace with the return of international airlines and new regulatory measures supporting the sector before the June earthquakes struck.