IATA offers technical support to Venezuela for Maiquetía Airport rehabilitation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has formally offered technical assistance to Venezuela's government to expedite the operational rehabilitation of Maiquetía International Airport. The nation's primary air terminal, located in La Guaira state, remains closed following significant damage from a powerful earthquake on June 24.

Peter Cerdá, IATA's regional vice president for the Americas, informed EFE that the organization is communicating with the Ministries of Transport and Tourism to coordinate engineering assessments. He noted "extensive damage" to both the terminal infrastructure and aircraft movement areas, affecting boarding lounges and taxiways.

To address the situation, IATA proposed implementing provisional infrastructure to quickly resume commercial and aid flights. Cerdá cited a past earthquake in Santiago, Chile, where temporary tent structures were used for operations when the main terminal was unusable for an extended period.

Meanwhile, international airlines are rerouting flights to the Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia, Carabobo state. However, Cerdá warned that Valencia's airport is considerably smaller than Maiquetía's and risks rapid saturation due to increased demand. He urged Venezuelan citizens abroad seeking to return to remain calm, emphasizing that rescue efforts in collapsed areas are the current priority for relief organizations.

Despite the commercial closure of Maiquetía, IATA acknowledged the government's effectiveness in disseminating navigation guidelines for medical supplies and provisions. The international aviation body has been designated an official contact point for processing air requests, though large-scale humanitarian corridors are managed bilaterally between national governments.