Simón Bolívar International Airport, in Maiquetía, the main gateway to Venezuela, will resume commercial flights from September 1st. The announcement was made by the Maiquetía International Airport Institute (IAIM), last Tuesday (25). The airport terminal has remained closed since the double earthquake on June 24, which caused serious damage to the runways, as well as the passenger check-in and disembarkation areas.
With this, the airline Gol confirmed to the Brazil in fact which will resume direct flights between São Paulo and Caracas (Venezuela) from September 15th. According to the company, weekly flights will be offered, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, departing from Guarulhos International Airport, without connections, lasting around 6 hours.
As a temporary alternative, authorities installed modular metallic structures to enable the return of operations. The temporary complex will have two departure and two arrival terminals, divided between national and international flights. The international departure structure will have an area of 4,300 m², four boarding doors and capacity to serve 780 people, with transport to the aircraft being carried out by bus.
The first phase of air resumption should cover between 30% and 35% of pre-earthquake capacity, with an estimate of up to eight daily flights. The start of operations in September follows technical simulations in the provisional structures, which required adjustments to the initial planning. The airport administration advised passengers to contact the airlines to reschedule their trips.
While work on the main building continues with no set deadline, the opening of temporary facilities seeks to reestablish Venezuela’s contact with international air routes, amid collective efforts to overcome the tragedy. Currently, airports in other capitals have been used for national and international connections, but with limited capacity.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
