Venezuela’s main airport partially resumes commercial flights after deadly earthquakes

CARACAS (AP) — Venezuela’s main airport partially resumed commercial operations on Tuesday, nearly 10 weeks after two devastating earthquakes struck the South American country.

A temporary area with metal structures was erected in the parking lot of the Simón Bolívar International Airport, located in the Maiquetía area of ​​La Guaira state, to serve passengers while repairs continue.

The airport, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Caracas, was closed after severe damage to its runways, control tower and passenger and cargo boarding and disembarking buildings during the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes of June 24, which left more than 6,500 dead and some 17,900 people homeless.

The structure, approximately 10,000 square meters (108,000 square feet) in size, has the capacity to handle 2,168 passengers per day, according to the airport, and includes check-in counters, air-conditioned waiting areas, free Wi-Fi, medical services and restrooms, among other amenities. Passengers will be transported by bus between the terminal and their aircraft.

“We hope that with this initial phase of operations … we will recover 25% of the operations we had before the earthquake,” Transportation Minister Francisco Garcés told the press Tuesday.

He added that “we will gradually create the conditions to increase these capacities,” reaching 40% in a few months and 60% by the end of the year or beginning of next year.

Garcés said that the resumption of operations has been certified by international organizations that carried out the corresponding inspection.

Most of the deaths occurred in La Guaira, Venezuela’s second smallest state, which is home to Simón Bolívar International Airport and the country’s second largest port. Its population of 440,000 is mostly made up of poor residents who rely on tourism, commerce and activities related to the airport and port.

The resumption of commercial operations will initially include seven domestic and four international round-trip flights operated by Copa Airlines of Panama and Air Europa of Spain. Other airlines, including Spain’s Iberia, will be added in the coming days.

Until Monday, all international flights arrived at small airports in the central state of Carabobo and the eastern state of Anzoategui, approximately 168 and 314 kilometers (104 and 195 miles) from Caracas, respectively.

The earthquakes were the strongest recorded in Venezuela in over a century and occurred 39 seconds apart along the coastal mountain range, where the country’s largest population centers are located.

The tremors caused severe damage in Caracas and the central-western states of Carabobo, Miranda, Aragua and Yaracuy.

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