Simn Bolvar International Airport Venezuela

Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport is the main international air passenger gateway to Venezuela. It was regularly visited by the Anglo-French supersonic airliner Concorde until the 1980s. Since 2000, the airport has been undergoing major changes in order to meet international standards and to improve passenger traffic, security, immigration areas, and customs areas. In March 2007, Iran Air introduced service to Tehran via Damascus. Conviasa ended its nonstop service to Damascus in August 2012. The Bolivarian government has not paid US$3.8 billion to international airlines in a currency issue involving conversion of local currency to U.S. dollars. In October 2016, the old jetways in the international terminal were replaced with new glass-walled jetways. Following the increasing economic partnership between Venezuela and Turkey, Turkish Airlines started direct flights from Caracas to Istanbul (via Havana, Cuba) in December 2016. By 2018, by the airport lacked air conditioning and utilities such as water and electricity. Flight crews are often sent to different cities to avoid crime that occurs in the area.