Venezuela's Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía will reopen to cargo flights on 5 August, ending a closure of more than five weeks following the devastating twin earthquakes that struck the country in late June.
The Ministry of Transport announced the reopening in a statement published on 31 July. The airport, located in the coastal state of La Guaira, had been shut since 24 June after earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 battered the region, which bore the brunt of the destruction.
The twin earthquakes killed more than 5,500 people, destroyed 856 buildings and damaged a further 190, making them among the deadliest seismic events in Venezuela's recent history. The resumption of cargo operations at Maiquetía is expected to support ongoing relief and recovery efforts in the hardest-hit areas.