Complete Guide to Colombia’s Airports: Where to Land & How to Get Around

Updated: May 2026 · by Frank Spitzer

Complete Guide to Colombia’s Airports: Where to Land & How to Get Around

Colombia has approximately 700 airports total, with 13 international airports serving direct flights from North America, Europe and within Latin America. The major international gateway is Bogotá El Dorado (BOG) — the busiest in Spanish-speaking Latin America. This guide covers all 13 international airports, what each connects to, and how to get from each to the city centre.

I am Frank Spitzer, founder of Pelecanus Travel (RNT 51402, IAGTO member, Bogotá-based since 2017). We arrange pre-arranged airport transfers and onward connections from any Colombian airport. Send me a message to start planning.

Bogotá El Dorado is your primary entry point unless you’re flying directly to the Caribbean. This Bogotá Travel Guide gives you the city context where most travellers will land.

Airport Levels in Colombia

The Civil Aeronautics Authority of Colombia (Aerocivil) classifies airports in Colombia into four levels based on their size, capacity, and facilities. These are:

Level 1

Level 1 airports are the largest and most modern in Colombia, with both international and domestic flights, multiple runways, terminals, and services. They can handle large aircraft and have high passenger and cargo traffic.

There are only 4 airports in Colombia belonging to this level:

• El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá
• José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín
• Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena
• Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali.

Level 2

Level 2 airports are medium-sized airports with domestic and some international flights, mainly to neighboring countries. They have one or two runways, terminals, and basic services. They can handle medium-sized aircraft and have moderate passenger and cargo traffic.

There are 11 airports in Colombia belonging to this level:

• El Edén International Airport in Armenia.
• Palonegro International Airport in Bucaramanga.
• Camilo Daza International Airport in Cúcuta.
• Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport in Barranquilla.
• Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport in Leticia.
• Matecaña International Airport in Pereira.
• Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés.
• Simón Bolívar International Airport in Santa Marta.
• Los Garzones International Airport in Montería.
• Almirante Padilla International Airport in Riohacha.
• Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín.

Level 3

Level 3 airports are small and offer domestic flights, mainly to regional destinations. They have one runway, one terminal, and minimal services. They can handle small aircraft and have low passenger and cargo traffic.

There are 28 airports in Colombia belonging to this level, the main ones being:

• La Nubia Airport in Manizales
• Perales Airport in Ibagué.
• Antonio Nariño Airport in Pasto.
• Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport in Valledupar.
• Yariguíes National Airport in Barrancabermeja.

Level 4

These are airfields that do not have commercial flights but only serve private, military, or emergency purposes. They have one runway but no terminal or services. They can handle very small aircraft and have very low or no passenger and cargo traffic.

There are 63 airfields in Colombia belonging to this level, the main ones being:

• Apiay Air Base in Villavicencio
• Guaymaral Airport in Bogotá
• La Macarena Airport in La Macarena
• Tres Esquinas Air Base in Florencia.

Level 1 Airports in Colombia

These airports operate both domestic and international flights and receive millions of passengers each year. The main category 1 airports in the country are:

El Dorado International Airport (BOG), Bogotá

Location: Bogotá, capital of Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 13,123 feet.
• Apron: Capacity for 120 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 40 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 22 domestic and 56 international

Featured Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$500 for light aircraft to US$5,000 for heavy aircraft.

José María Córdova International Airport (MDE), Rionegro

Location: 18.6 miles from Medellín.

Key Features:

• Runway: 12,467 feet.
• Apron: Capacity for 40 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 15 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 12 domestic and 19 international.

Available Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$500 for light aircraft to US$5,000 for heavy aircraft.

Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), Cartagena

Location: Cartagena, capital of Bolívar.

Key Features:

• Runway: 8,530 feet.
• Apron: Capacity for 20 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 1 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 11 domestic and 18 international.

Featured Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$300 for light aircraft to US$3,000 for heavy aircraft.

Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), Cali

Location: Palmira, 12.4 miles from Cali.

Key Features:

• Runway: 9,842 feet.
• Apron: Capacity for 30 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 1.2 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 19 domestic and 9 international.

Featured Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$400 for light aircraft to US$4,000 for heavy aircraft.

Level 2 Airports in Colombia

These airports operate domestic and some international flights and receive hundreds of thousands of passengers each year. Some of the category 2 airports are:

Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH), Medellín

Location: Medellín, capital of Antioquia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 7,874 feet.
• Apron: Capacity for 80 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 2 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 18 domestic.

Featured Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$300 for light aircraft to US$3,000 for heavy aircraft.

Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), Barranquilla

Location: Barranquilla, capital of Atlántico.

Key Features:

• Runway: 9,842 feet.
• Apron: Capacity for 40 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 1.5 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 6 domestic and 6 international.

Featured Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$400 for light aircraft to US$4,000 for heavy aircraft.

Matecaña International Airport (PEI), Pereira

Location: In the city of Pereira.

Key Features:

• Runway: 7,217 feet.
• Parking Platform: 15 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 800,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 5 domestic and 3 international.

Available Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$300 for light aircraft to US$3,000 for heavy aircraft.

Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ), San Andrés

Location: On the island of San Andrés.

Key Features:

• Runway: 8,530 feet.
• Parking Platform: 15 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 1.5 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 7 domestic and 1 international.

Available Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$400 for light aircraft to US$4,000 for heavy aircraft.

Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport (LET), Leticia

Location: In the city of Leticia, Amazonas.

Key Features:

• Runway: 7,217 feet.
• Parking Platform: 10 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 400,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 4 domestic.

Available Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$300 for light aircraft to US$3,000 for heavy aircraft.

Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), Santa Marta

Location: 10.2 miles from the center of the city of Santa Marta, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 5,577 feet.
• Parking Platform: 8 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 1.5 million passengers per year.
• Destinations: 3 domestic and 1 international.

Available Services:

• Restaurants.
• Shops.
• ATMs.
• Car rental.

Landing Fees:

• From US$250 for light aircraft to US$2,500 for heavy aircraft.

Level 3 Airports in Colombia

These airports only operate domestic flights and receive tens of thousands of passengers each year. Some of the category 3 airports are:

La Nubia Airport (MZL), Manizales

Location: 4.9 miles from the center of the city of Manizales, in the department of Caldas, in the Andean region of Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 4,101 feet.
• Parking Platform: 6 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 300,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 3 domestic.

Available Services:

• Cafeterias.
• Waiting rooms.
• Parking lot.

Landing Fees:

From US$200 for light aircraft to US$2,000 for heavy aircraft.

Yariguíes Airport (EJA), Barrancabermeja

Location: 4.3 miles from the center of the city of Barrancabermeja, in the department of Santander, in northeastern Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 5,905 feet.
• Parking Platform: 7 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 200,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 1 domestic.

Available Services:

• Restaurants.
• Shops.
• VIP lounges.
• Car rental.

Landing Fees:

• From US$300 for light aircraft to US$3,000 for heavy aircraft.

Benito Salas Airport (NVA), Neiva

Location: 1.8 miles from the center of the city of Neiva, in the department of Huila, in southern Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 6,233 feet.
• Parking Platform: 9 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 400,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 4 domestic.

Available Services:

• Cafeterias.
• Shops.
• ATMs.
• Car rental.

Landing Fees:

• From US$250 for light aircraft to US$2,500 for heavy aircraft.

Level 4 Airports in Colombia

These airports only operate regional or local flights and receive thousands of passengers each year. Some of the category 4 airports are:

Guaymaral Airport (GAA), Bogotá

Location: North of the city of Bogotá, in the locality of Suba, near the municipality of Chía.

Key Features:

• Runway: 5,643 feet of asphalt and 6,299 feet of grass.
• Parking Platform: 10 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: None.
• Destinations: On-demand.

Available Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$100 for light aircraft to US$1,000 for heavy aircraft.

La Macarena Aerodrome (LMC), Meta

Location: 1.2 miles from the center of the municipality of La Macarena, in the department of Meta, in southeastern Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 3,937 feet of asphalt.
• Parking Platform: 4 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 50,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 2 domestic.

Available Services:

• Restaurants.
• Shops.
• ATMs.
• Car rental.

Landing Fees:

• From US$150 for light aircraft to US$1,500 for heavy aircraft.

Buenaventura Aerodrome (BUN), Valle del Cauca

Location: 2.4 miles from the center of the city of Buenaventura, in the department of Valle del Cauca, on the Pacific coast of Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 5,905 feet of asphalt.
• Parking Platform: 6 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: Capacity of up to 300,000 passengers per year.
• Destinations: 5 domestic

Available Services:

• Restaurants.
• Shops.
• ATMs.
• Car rental.

Landing Fees:

• From US$200 for light aircraft to US$2,000 for heavy aircraft.

San Gil Aerodrome (SGI), Santander

Location: 3.7 miles from the center of the municipality of San Gil, in the department of Santander, in northeastern Colombia.

Key Features:

• Runway: 3,280 feet of asphalt.
• Parking Platform: 3 aircraft.
• Passenger Terminal: None.
• Destinations: On-demand.

Available Services:

• Fueling.
• Hangars.
• Catering.
• Cleaning.
• Ground assistance.

Landing Fees:

• From US$100 for light aircraft to US$1,000 for heavy aircraft.

As you can see, Colombia offers a variety of airports and airfields, catering to your destination, budget, and preferences. Whether you want to visit the capital, the coast, the mountains, or the jungle, you’ll find an airport that suits your needs. Check out our flight connections blog in Colombia for details on routes. Also see our guide to charter flights in Colombia.

FAQ

What is the main international airport in Colombia?

Bogotá El Dorado International Airport (BOG) — the busiest in Spanish-speaking Latin America. Handles ~35 million passengers/year. Direct flights from North America, Europe, and Latin America.

What other Colombian airports have international flights?

Medellín José María Córdova (MDE), Cartagena Rafael Nuñez (CTG), Cali Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (CLO), Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz (BAQ), Pereira Matecaña (PEI), Bucaramanga Palonegro (BGA). Plus several others.

How do I get from El Dorado to downtown Bogotá?

TransMilenio bus (cheapest, $1, 30-45 min), Uber/DiDi ($8-15, 25-40 min), official airport taxi ($15-25), pre-booked private transfer ($30-50, fastest). Avoid unauthorised taxis.

Are Colombian airports safe?

Yes. Major international airports have proper security, established taxi services, ATMs, food courts, and lounges. Stay in designated terminal areas.

What are the smallest Colombian airports?

Capán airfields, Mitú (Vaupés), Inírida (Guainía), Bahía Solano (Chocó) — all served by Satena or EasyFly with small (DHC-6, Cessna Caravan) aircraft.

Can I fly directly to Cartagena from the US/Europe?

Yes. Direct: New York (United, JetBlue), Miami (American), Atlanta (Delta), Madrid (Iberia). One-stop via Bogotá: all other major cities.

References

• Aerocivil – Colombian Civil Aviation Authority

About the Author

I’m Frank Spitzer — Swiss-born, Bogotá-resident since 2015, founder of Pelecanus. From first inquiry through return flight, you deal with me personally — not a handoff team. I’ve driven across 30 of Colombia’s 32 departments to inspect roads, hotels, guides and routes myself, and documented it in 400+ first-hand videos on the COLOMBIAFRANK YouTube channel. Before a destination goes into a trip, I’ve been there, often more than once, and I’ve slept in the bed I’d recommend. That field scouting sits on top of a 20-year background in finance, an MBA from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, and a First-Lieutenant commission in the Swiss Army. I work in German, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, which is why luxury, golf, eco and wildlife travellers from Switzerland, Germany, the US and Latin America trust us to build trips that feel custom — not catalogued. Pelecanus operates under Colombian RNT 51402 and is an active IAGTO member.

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