Updated on 04/23/2024
Dear reader,
I would also like to recommend our Colombia travel guide, which provides a perfect overview of the tourist attractions in Colombia. Enjoy reading it!
Colombia awaits you with its wonderful coastal landscapes, high Andean mountains and colonial cities. But before embarking on this adventure, you should know which are the best airports to get to the country. In this blog, we show you the different airports in Colombia, their category, infrastructure and services, so you can plan an unforgettable trip.
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.
More about Charter Flights in Colombia
- How To Get Around Colombia Like A Pro: An Expert Transportation Guide
- Finding the Top Charter Flight Service in Colombia: A Comprehensive Guide
- Your Complete Guide to Colombia’s Airports: Where to Land and What to Expect
- Travel to Colombia on your Private Jet – Hassle-Free Guide
- Charter Flights in Santa Marta, Colombia – Travelers Guide
- Charter Flights in Santander, Colombia – Travelers Guide
- Charter Flights in the Coffee Triangle, Colombia – Travelers Guide
- Charter flights in Meta, Colombia – Travelers Guide
- Charter Flights in the Amazon, Colombia – Travelers Guide
- Charter Flights in San Andres, Colombia – Travelers Guide
