Venezuela's domestic airline industry suffers amid economic crisis

Venezuela’s domestic airline industry is struggling to maintain operations due to hyperinflation and shortages of spare parts, according to an industry association, making it increasingly hard to obtain tickets and causing chronic flight delays. The domestic air fleet has shrunk 80% since 2014 to around 20 functioning aircraft, the Venezuelan air industry association Ceveta says, leaving Venezuelans struggling to travel to visit relatives or receive medical treatment. That comes atop a steady withdrawal since 2016 of international airlines, many of which left Venezuela after years investing in what was once one of Latin America’s richest countries. Eight local airlines continue flying, the most active of which are Laser, Avior and state-run Conviasa, Ceveta President Jorge Alvarez told Reuters on June 26. He added that airlines have cut services because they cannot obtain dollars through the country’s currency control system. “We don’t have replacement parts because the government is not able to provide the hard currency we need,” said Alvarez, a former airline executive. For domestic flights, airlines now typically sell only one-way tickets. When people want to return home from a trip, they usually have to line up at the airport on the day they hope to travel.<br/>