Hundreds of Flights canceled, disrupted as Earthquakes shut Venezuela’s Main Airport
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
CARACAS — Two strong earthquakes wreak havoc in Venezuela’s northern coast, as the country’s busiest airport comes to standstill. Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas suspended all commercial operations after suffering structural damage, disrupting more than 110 scheduled flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded as authorities launched safety inspections with no reopening timeline in sight. Flight tracking data showed that aircraft movements at Caracas came to a complete stop following the earthquakes. Several evening flights were either diverted or canceled, underscoring the immediate impact of the disaster on the country’s busiest aviation hub. The International Airport (CCS), serving as primary gateway for domestic and international travel, remained closed throughout Thursday after Wednesday’s earthquakes triggered structural damage inside the terminal. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the airport would stay shut while engineers conduct detailed inspections, with no reopening timeline announced. The closure affected full day’s operations. A total of 56 passenger flights were scheduled to arrive at Caracas on June 25, offering 8,505 inbound seats. With departures also suspended, more than 110 planned flight movements were disrupted, although officials have yet to release an official tally of canceled, diverted, delayed, or repositioned flights. The shutdown rippled across Latin America, North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Copa Airlines was scheduled to operate three arrivals from Panama City, providing 458 seats, while LASER Airlines had three domestic services planned from Porlamar. Avianca was due to operate two flights from Bogotá carrying 360 seats, and American Airlines, having only resumed its Miami-Caracas service in April, had two scheduled arrivals from Miami. Flights from Madrid, Istanbul, São Paulo, Curaçao, Havana, Managua, Medellín, Punta Cana, and multiple Venezuelan cities were