Turkish Airlines eyes August return to Caracas after airport reactivation

Turkish Airlines is poised to resume its flights connecting Caracas and Istanbul in the latter half of August. This return is contingent on the planned reactivation of commercial operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, which had been suspended since June 24 following earthquake damage.

Ambassador of Turkey to Venezuela, Aydan Karamanoglu, announced the airline's intention, stating that operations are expected to restart around August 24. He clarified that the suspension was a technical necessity caused by the earthquake but assured that the flights remain a priority for the airline.

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There is good news that operations will likely resume in the second half of August, and as soon as operations resume, Turkish will return. This has been a technical suspension forced by the earthquake, but the flights remain.

Karamanoglu emphasized that the temporary halt in service has not impacted the strong relationship between Turkish Airlines and Venezuela, nor the company's expansion plans. Before the earthquakes, the airline operated five weekly flights and is now looking to increase this frequency by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

Maiquetía Airport temporarily suspended international commercial operations after the seismic events, diverting some air traffic to Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia. The ongoing recovery efforts at the main terminal are paving the way for the gradual return of airlines that had interrupted their schedules.

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The relationship has not been affected, only for technical reasons; good relations between Turkish and Venezuela are maintained. In fact, Turkish has plans: before the earthquakes, there were five weekly frequencies, and they are planning to increase those frequencies by the end of this year, early next year.