Cartagena’s hotel occupancy fell to 65.04% in July 2026, the lowest reading for the month in three years, according to the monthly report from Cotelco’s Cartagena and Bolívar chapter, based on its Sistema de Información Hotelero (Hotel Information System, SIH). The decline came as Colombia’s historically strong peso made the city measurably more expensive for the foreign travelers who make up most of its hotel guests, according to national economists and industry groups. The July figure is down from 69.08% in July 2025 and 68.63% in July 2024, reversing last year’s gain and marking the weakest July in the three-year comparison the chapter tracks.

Revenue per available room, the metric hoteliers watch most closely because it combines both occupancy and rate, told a starker story than occupancy alone. Cartagena’s July RevPAR fell to $349,429 COP, down 11.5% from July 2025’s $394,713 COP and below the July 2024 level of $357,995 COP as well, making it the lowest of the three years measured. Average daily rates held up better, easing to $537,271 COP from a July 2025 peak of $571,376 COP but still running 3% above July 2024’s $521,601 COP.

The occupancy decline traces almost entirely to foreign visitors. Cartagena’s hotels hosted 42,786 international guests in July 2026, down 10.8% from 47,950 in July 2025 and 11% from 48,097 in July 2024. Domestic guest arrivals moved the opposite direction, rising 5.5% to 29,811 from 28,262 a year earlier. The shift pulled foreign travelers’ share of Cartagena’s hotel guest mix down to 59% in 2026 from 62.91% in 2025, the lowest share the chapter has recorded in its three-year comparison.

The currency move behind that shift has been unusually large. The Colombian peso strengthened to its firmest levels against the dollar since April 2019 during July 2026, according to Banco de la República (Colombia’s central bank), whose Tasa Representativa del Mercado (Representative Market Rate, TRM) tracks the peso’s value against the dollar. Alejandro Rojas, senior economist at Banco de Bogotá (BVC: BOGOTA), put the year-over-year revaluation at roughly 20%, which combined with local service-sector inflation running near 10% — driven in part by this year’s minimum-wage increase — to raise the effective cost of a Colombia trip for a foreign visitor by close to 30%, he said in an interview with Bloomberg Línea. Rojas said national hotel revenue, tracked by the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE) through its Encuesta Mensual de Alojamiento (Monthly Lodging Survey), fell 3.6% year over year in December 2025 and deteriorated further to a 6.9% decline by May 2026. Nationally, nonresident visitor arrivals fell 1.6% between January and May 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, according to Anato, Colombia’s national association of travel and tourism agencies, cited by La República.

“The peso’s strength against the dollar is having a direct effect on the dynamics of tourism,” Anato president Paula Cortés Calle told Bloomberg Línea. “While it favors Colombians’ travel abroad, it also takes away Colombia’s competitiveness as a destination for international travelers compared to other countries in the region.” Cortés Calle added that Colombia still has a strong tourism offering and good air connectivity, and that the challenge is strengthening international promotion and competitiveness to convert those strengths into growth in inbound tourism.

“The peso’s strength against the dollar is having a direct effect on the dynamics of tourism.”

— Paula Cortés Calle, president, Anato

Not every analyst treats the currency as decisive on its own. Juan David Ballén, director of economic and market research at Aval Asset Management, told Bloomberg Línea that the dollar has weakened globally this year and that the peso has appreciated by more than the global average, but that currency movements alone are unlikely to redirect Colombia’s tourism trend unless the appreciation proves large and sustained. Improving security conditions and a strengthening tourism offering, he said, could offset some of the relative cost increase.

Cartagena’s year-to-date numbers show the deterioration is broader than a single month. Accumulated occupancy from January through July 2026 fell to 63.08%, down from 70.19% over the same period in 2025 and, notably, below the 67.97% recorded in 2024 — the first time in the three-year series that year-to-date occupancy has fallen under the 2024 baseline. Accumulated RevPAR fell for a second consecutive year, to $379,436 COP from $402,337 COP in 2025 and $432,821 COP in 2024, even as accumulated average daily rates recovered somewhat to $601,540 COP from $573,176 COP in 2025.

The decline was not evenly spread across the city. Centro Histórico y Getsemaní, Cartagena’s walled colonial core, absorbed the steepest drop, with July occupancy sliding to 46.45% from 56.73% in 2025 and 57.88% in 2024. The Islas zone fell to 59.61% from 68.50%. The high-rise Moderna district and the Norte zone held up better, slipping only modestly to 72.26% and 67.22%, respectively. Pie de la Popa y Manga was the lone zone to improve, rising to 69.66% from 65.41% in 2025.

Regionally, Cotelco’s Cartagena and Bolívar chapter posted 50.79% occupancy in June 2026, the most recent month for which chapter-to-chapter comparisons were available, placing it third among four Caribbean and insular chapters — behind Magdalena’s 58.55% and San Andrés y Providencia’s 54.03%, and ahead of only Atlántico’s 49.83%. Nationally, Cartagena and Bolívar ranked second among the five chapters Cotelco compared, trailing only Bogotá’s 53.47% and ahead of Atlántico, Antioquia’s 48.43% and Valle del Cauca’s 46.90%.

The Cartagena and Bolívar chapter is led by board president Edilson Posada Bermúdez, general manager of the Hotel Almirante Cartagena.

Headline photo: Cartagena Colombia – photo credit Loren Moss

The 19th edition of Sabor Barranquilla, a gastronomy fair on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, closed Sunday, August 23, 2026, in Barranquilla with about 20,000 attendees and projected sales of $2.5 billion COP, results Colombia’s national government cited as evidence that the food industry can double as a tool for economic development and tourism.

The four-day fair ran from August 20 to 23 at the Puerta de Oro Centro de Eventos del Caribe and brought together 52 chefs and cooks from different regions of Colombia and the wider Caribbean, according to El Tiempo, who shared recipes, techniques, and stories tied to traditional dishes. A business-matchmaking track produced 83 meetings between 16 professional buyers and companies in the sector.

The Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism), commonly known as Mincomercio, took part through its Colombia a la Mesa (Colombia to the Table) strategy, which the ministry describes as a way to turn the country’s regional food products into tourism and business opportunities. This year’s edition was built around the theme “Frutas del Caribe, un mundo asombroso” (“Caribbean Fruits, an Amazing World”), and the ministry brought four representatives from different parts of the food and farming sector to link rural producers, regional products, culture, and cuisine.

Commerce Minister Mauricio Gómez Amín, a lawyer and former senator from Barranquilla whom Abelardo de la Espriella — now Colombia’s president — named to the ministry as president-elect in mid-2026, according to El Tiempo, framed the fair’s results as evidence of a broader economic chain. “With Colombia to the Table we are showing that gastronomy is development. Every dish presented here is a chain that starts with a rural producer and ends in a destination that generates jobs, identity, and pride,” Gómez Amín said.

The government said the fair’s results support its push to strengthen gastronomic tourism, energize local economies, and connect micro, small, and medium-sized rural producers, or MiPymes, with new markets and tourism experiences.

The business-matchmaking track was coordinated with the Fondo Nacional de Turismo (National Tourism Fund), known as Fontur, and the Cámara de Comercio de Barranquilla (Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce), and ran alongside live cooking demonstrations, tastings, and public forums. Fontur general manager María Isabel Campo Cuello, who was named to the post in mid-August 2026, according to El Tiempo, said gastronomy is shifting from a secondary attraction to a primary one for travelers. “Gastronomy is no longer just a complement to the trip — it is the reason for the trip,” Campo Cuello said.

Sabor Barranquilla was created in 2008 by the Cruz Roja Colombiana Seccional Atlántico (the Atlántico chapter of the Colombian Red Cross) and the Atlántico chapter of Fenalco (National Federation of Merchants) to promote Caribbean Colombian and wider-Caribbean cuisine, according to the fair’s website. The fair is organized by Corferias, the Bogotá-based trade fair operator, together with Fenalco Atlántico and the Red Cross chapter, at the Puerta de Oro Centro de Eventos del Caribe venue. This year’s edition featured La Guajira as the guest department and Curaçao as the guest country.

Fenalco Atlántico executive director Yilda Castro said the fair’s reach extends beyond its exhibition halls. “When we talk about gastronomy, we are also talking about opportunities, job creation, and growth for our city and our region,” Castro told El Tiempo.

Fair director Patricia Maestre said organizers are already looking to next year, when Sabor Barranquilla will mark its 20th edition — coinciding with the centennial of the birth of Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez. “Closing this nineteenth edition with thousands of people enjoying, learning, buying, cooking, and discovering the Caribbean fills us with satisfaction, but it also commits us to keep growing,” Maestre told El Tiempo.

LATAM Airlines Colombia crew based in Medellín. (Photo courtesy LATAM Airlines Colombia)

LATAM Airlines Colombia said on September 2, 2026, that it has strengthened its Medellín operation for the remainder of the year across passenger flying, maintenance, cargo, and customer service, in a city the airline describes as its second-largest base in the country. The passenger schedule accounts for 245,554 monthly seats, roughly 24% of the 1,018,234 monthly seats the carrier offers across Colombia.

Headcount in the city reached 419 in September, an increase of 51%, spread across operations, on-board service, maintenance, and airport functions. Of that total, the airline said 143 people are assigned to passenger and cargo operations, with the growth concentrated in cabin crew and pilots based in Medellín. In an interview with El Colombiano, Erika Zarante, chief executive of LATAM Airlines Colombia, put the additions at 95 cabin crew and 48 flight-deck crew. The newspaper reported that the crew base allows employees from Antioquia who had been working out of Bogotá to return to the region.

The airline also set daily overnight parking for eight aircraft at José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, and said the base can now perform inspection and intervention work on engines, landing gear, and fuselages. The airline said the capability improves fleet availability and service reliability.

In May 2025, Vice Minister of Infrastructure Liliana María Ospina told the Comisión Sexta (Sixth Commission) of the Colombian Senate that only the first stage of the airport’s master plan had been funded at that point, and that the second stage, which contains a second runway and a new terminal, fell outside the administration’s budget planning. Finance Colombia reported at the time that the terminal had handled 12.5 million passengers and 129,000 tons of cargo over the preceding year.

Zarante told El Colombiano that the airport’s planned expansion to 17 million passengers opens room for airlines to keep growing in the city, but that airport infrastructure has to work as a network anchored on Bogotá, where LATAM is pressing for slot monitoring at El Dorado International Airport and views the Dorado Max project as a source of additional capacity over the medium and long term. She said LATAM is willing to invest and bring more aircraft to Colombia as that capacity opens.

On the cargo side, the group’s freight arm, LATAM Cargo, operates seven weekly freighter frequencies between Medellín and Miami using Boeing (NYSE: BA) 767 aircraft, which the airline said play a strategic role in exports from Antioquia’s flower-growing sector. At a half-year briefing in July, reported by Colombian aviation outlet volavi, the airline said it moved 75,000 tons of cargo in Colombia during the first six months of 2026, held the lead in air freight exports of flowers, and widened its cargo mix to include fruit, tilapia, pharmaceutical freight, e-commerce, and high-value goods.

Two group-wide support functions also sit in the metropolitan area. The airline said Medellín supplies uniforms for its employees worldwide and hosts the largest business process outsourcing and contact center operation in the LATAM group’s regional network, staffed by 700 agents working exclusively on the airline’s account. That center is run by AlmaExperience Colombia, which operates offices in Bogotá and in Sabaneta, in the Medellín metropolitan area, and reports more than 3,500 employees nationwide. AlmaExperience Colombia, formerly Almacontact, belongs to the Almaviva group of Italy.

The passenger network from Medellín covers 162 weekly frequencies to seven destinations, six of them domestic. Bogotá accounts for 100 weekly flights, followed by Cali and Barranquilla at 14 each, San Andrés at 13, and Pereira, Montería, and Lima at seven each. Lima, the only international route in the schedule, connects Medellín to the wider network of LATAM Airlines Group (NYSE: LTM) through Peru. Zarante told El Colombiano that the Bogotá-Medellín route has grown about 4% to 5% and ranks third by number of frequencies across the entire LATAM group, and that the airline’s near-term priority is consolidating existing routes rather than launching new ones.

Measured in available seat kilometers (ASKs), the airline projects 77 million ASKs from Medellín against 512 million ASKs for its Colombian operation as a whole, and describes the plan as representing 8% growth over 2025. The airline highlighted three routes: Barranquilla-Medellín, where seats rise 64%; San Andrés-Medellín, up 63%; and Bogotá-Medellín, up 10%. Bogotá-Medellín was already the busiest pair in the carrier’s domestic network in the first half of 2026, carrying 754,925 passengers, according to figures volavi reported from the group’s second-quarter results.

At the July briefing the airline said it carried more than 5 million passengers on domestic and international flights to and from Colombia between January and June, holding its position as the second operator in the domestic market. It told trade outlet Reportur in July 2026 that it operates 29 aircraft in the country and is targeting a share close to 30% of the Colombian air market, against the 26% of seat capacity its chief executive cited for 2025.

Parent company LATAM Airlines Group reported net income of $125 million USD for the second quarter of 2026 on revenue of $4.18 billion USD, a 28% increase over the same quarter of 2025, with an adjusted operating margin of 5.4% and aircraft fuel costs up 93.1% year over year, according to the group’s results release dated August 4, 2026. The group and Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) agreed to a joint venture in 2020, and the Colombian civil aviation authority, Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Aeronautics), known as Aerocivil, approved it in May 2021.

Zarante said the city’s role in the group extends past its position in the route map. “Medellín is much more than a relevant destination within our network: it is a strategic platform for LATAM’s growth in Colombia and for the Group in the region,” she said. “Our commitment to Antioquia combines connectivity, employment, cargo, customer service, and maintenance, with a long-term vision that seeks to drive stronger connectivity, a more efficient operation, and a business model that integrates local capabilities with global opportunities.”

Zarante took the chief executive role on January 1, 2025, succeeding Santiago Álvarez Matamoros. La República reported at the time of her appointment that she had spent 23 years in the aviation sector and had been leading the airline’s legal department.

Headline photo: Erika Zarante, CEO of LATAM Airlines Colombia, beside the landing gear of a LATAM aircraft. (Photo courtesy LATAM Airlines Colombia)

Colombia’s tourism trade associations have ratified that the sector’s impact will be measured on indicators beyond visitor volume, following a meeting between Vice Minister of Tourism Julián Franco Restrepo and representatives of the industry guilds, the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, MinCIT) announced on September 1, 2026.

According to the ministry, the guilds ratified that the sector’s performance will be judged on effective visitor spending, socioeconomic opportunities in the regions, sustainability, the positioning of Colombian gastronomy, and tourist security, rather than on visitor volume alone. Among the strategic themes discussed, the ministry highlighted the goal of establishing tourism as a cross-cutting policy for regional growth and formal job creation.

The meeting was convened on the instruction of Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Mauricio Gómez Amín, a Barranquilla attorney and former senator who, according to El Tiempo, was named to the portfolio in July by then President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. The ministry described the session as a first-hand review of what is working in each segment of the industry, the priority needs identified, and the route the government intends to follow for the sector. It did not publish a list of the associations that attended.

“We want tourism to be the great engine of economic and social development for the country. This listening exercise allows us to chart a clear, shared route toward building a stronger, more coordinated industry with a real vision of the future,” said Franco Restrepo.

The Fondo Nacional de Turismo (National Tourism Fund, Fontur), the ministry’s financing and promotion arm, committed at the meeting to put its technical, promotional, and infrastructure-investment capacity behind the priorities the guilds identified. The ministry said Fontur will prioritize the recovery of the departments affected by the August 10 earthquake while continuing development projects and investment in the rest of the country. The ministry did not announce specific measures, funding amounts, or a timeline.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar in Chocó, struck western and southwestern Colombia on August 10, 2026, and initial assessments reported 472 municipalities affected. According to an August 18 report from the Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, UNGRD) cited by Infobae Colombia, the earthquake left 304 dead, 4,548 injured, 426 missing, and 292,043 people affected, figures the UNGRD said could change as field verification continued. Infobae, citing the Asociación Colombiana de Ciudades Capitales (Colombian Association of Capital Cities, Asocapitales), reported that Cali and Pereira recorded the heaviest loss of life and infrastructure collapses among the capital cities.

Pereira’s Matecaña International Airport, which Infobae reported was operating under restrictions at the time, has since reopened gradually. According to MinCIT, the airport received approval from the Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Aeronautics, Aerocivil) on August 22 and was handling an average of 18 flights a day with four airlines as of August 29, with full capacity expected within an estimated two months.

In an interview with Valora Analitik published August 28, María Isabel Campo, general manager of Fontur, said the fund will concentrate over the coming months on reconstruction in five departments hit by the earthquake: Quindío, Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Chocó, and Caldas. She said Fontur has an emergency line but that it was not set up in anticipation of a tragedy like the earthquake, and that the fund is reviewing its competitiveness and infrastructure lines to finance the reconstruction of damaged tourism infrastructure. Campo also said the fund would work with the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (National Learning Service, SENA) and the private sector on tourism training, and would help smaller municipalities structure projects.

At least one guild has already put specific requests to the government. At the 30th National Congress of Travel and Tourism Agencies in Barranquilla, which closed on August 28, the Asociación Colombiana de Agencias de Viajes y Turismo (Colombian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies, Anato) presented proposals based on an assessment of its member agencies and other operators in Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Quindío, and Caldas. According to El Espectador, the proposals include subsidies to preserve jobs, a reduction of the value-added tax on air tickets, lodging, and tour packages, special credit lines, tax relief, and more flexible commercial penalties.

Speaking at the same congress on August 27, Franco Restrepo outlined what he called four engines for the sector: confidence, covering security, confidence in service, fair pricing, and institutional trust; experiences, built around tourism corridors and product design; a tourism intelligence center to support data-based decisions; and scale in both infrastructure and promotion. According to El País of Cali, the vice minister told the congress that the main indicators for travel agencies fell in the first half of 2026, and that the country’s roughly 18,000 agencies represent 15% of registered tourism providers and more than 30,000 jobs.

Franco Restrepo served for nine years as secretary of tourism for the department of Valle del Cauca before his appointment to the vice ministry, according to El País. The ministry said the joint work among MinCIT, Fontur, and the guilds is meant to lead to concrete actions to strengthen the sector’s development.

Headline photo: Tourism guild representatives and MinCIT officials after the September 1, 2026 meeting. (Photo courtesy MinCIT / Lincoln Acevedo)

LATAM Airlines Group (NYSE: LTM; Santiago Stock Exchange: LTM) reported net income of $125 million USD for the second quarter of 2026, down 48.2% from the same period a year earlier, even as revenue rose almost 28%. The Santiago-based group published the results on August 4, 2026.

Revenue reached $4.18 billion USD, up 27.6% from $3.28 billion USD in the second quarter of 2025. Adjusted operating income fell 46.3% to $227 million USD, and the adjusted operating margin narrowed to 5.4% from 12.9%. Adjusted EBITDA totaled $713 million USD, down 16.1%.

Aircraft fuel costs rose 93.1% to $1.71 billion USD, an increase LATAM attributed in its earnings report to jet fuel prices driven higher by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The average all-in price the group paid, including hedges, rose 81.3% to $194.50 USD per barrel, while consumption rose 6.8%.

“The second-quarter results demonstrate the group’s structural strength, the value proposition offered to customers and its ability to operate in a volatile and uncertain environment,” said Ricardo Bottas, chief financial officer of LATAM Airlines Group. He added: “The group remains firmly committed to the disciplined execution of a profitable growth strategy. LATAM’s diversified business model — which includes revenue from the Premium segment, integrated cargo and loyalty businesses, and a strong financial position — provided the foundation for maintaining profitability even during a seasonally weaker quarter and amid unprecedented fuel-price pressures that had a significant impact on the group’s costs.”

Passenger revenue rose 27.9% to $3.61 billion USD, which LATAM said showed its ability to “pass through higher fuel costs to fares without compromising demand.” Passenger unit revenue rose 17.5% to 8.1 US cents even though capacity grew 8.9%. The premium segment produced 29% of passenger revenue. Cargo revenue rose 21.8% to $510 million USD on 17.8% higher yields, and the group moved 261,000 tons. LATAM Pass reached 56 million members, who accounted for 67% of passenger revenue.

LATAM operates domestic airlines in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2020, emerged on November 3, 2022, and relisted its American depositary receipts on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2024. Its Colombian subsidiary operates inside a joint venture with Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) that Colombia’s Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Aeronautics), or Aerocivil, approved without conditions in May 2021.

In Colombia, LATAM Carried 5.2 Million Passengers in the First Half

LATAM Airlines Colombia said the group carried 5.2 million passengers during the first half of 2026 across its domestic network and on international routes to and from the country. Bogotá–Medellín remained the busiest domestic route, at 754,925 passengers, up 4% from the first half of 2025. Bogotá–Cartagena grew 11% and Bogotá–Barranquilla 10%. Bogotá–Montería grew fastest, at 27%. On international routes to and from Colombia, the airline reported growth of 46% to Brazil through the São Paulo hub and 18% to Orlando, both against the first half of 2025.

LATAM Restores Its 2026 Outlook but Trims Spanish-Speaking Capacity Growth

LATAM restored every parameter of its 2026 outlook, capacity and revenue among them, and raised its revenue range to $17.3 billion USD to $17.7 billion USD from the $15.5 billion USD to $16.0 billion USD it issued in December 2025. Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $4.1 billion USD to $4.4 billion USD sits above the $3.8 billion USD to $4.2 billion USD range set in May 2026, but below December’s $4.2 billion USD to $4.6 billion USD. Adjusted operating margin guidance stands at 12% to 13%, against an original 15% to 17%. The company assumes jet fuel at $147 USD per barrel in the third quarter and $130 USD in the fourth.

Capacity guidance moved in two directions. For the four Spanish-speaking domestic markets LATAM serves — Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru — the group cut full-year growth to 4% to 5%, from the 5% to 7% it issued in December 2025; capacity across those four countries grew 5.3% during the second quarter. Guidance for Brazilian domestic capacity rose, to 8% to 9% from 6% to 8%, and group-wide capacity growth guidance narrowed to 9% to 10% from 8% to 10%.

Liquidity Reaches $4.23 Billion USD and Shareholders Back a Buyback

The group generated $476 million USD in adjusted operating cash flow and ended the quarter with $2.65 billion USD in cash. Including undrawn committed credit lines, liquidity stood at $4.23 billion USD, or 26.2% of revenue over the previous 12 months. Adjusted net leverage held at 1.5 times, below the 2.0 times ceiling set in the company’s financial policy. At an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on August 3, 2026, shareholders approved the repurchase of up to 5% of subscribed and paid shares over as long as five years, delegating the launch, mechanism and conditions to the board of directors.

LATAM Expects 28 More Aircraft and Its Brazil Unit Maps the E2 Network

LATAM took delivery of nine aircraft and ended the quarter with a fleet of 383, comprising 304 Airbus (Euronext Paris: AIR) jets and 79 Boeing (NYSE: BA) aircraft, 20 of them freighters. The group expects 28 more deliveries over the rest of the year.

LATAM Airlines Brazil separately set out the first deployment of its Embraer (NYSE: EMBJ) E195-E2 fleet. Through March 2027, up to 14 of the jets are expected to operate 42 domestic routes, eight of them new: four linking Guarulhos with the new destinations of Cabo Frio, Macaé, Ji-Paraná and Rondonópolis, plus four connecting existing bases. LATAM Airlines Brazil will then serve 67 domestic destinations, against 44 in 2019, and is evaluating up to 18 more for a second phase in 2027.

LATAM Airlines Colombia and Avianca are both resuming flights to Pereira’s Aeropuerto Internacional Matecaña (Matecaña International Airport) on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, after the Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Aviation Authority), commonly known as Aerocivil, certified the terminal’s reopening following the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10. Both carriers said service will restart below pre-earthquake levels and expand gradually as repairs to the terminal continue, just over two weeks after the quake forced the airport shut.

The earthquake, centered near San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó, had killed 329 people and left 234 missing as of August 24, according to Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (National Disaster Risk Management Unit, UNGRD) figures reported that day by El Tiempo. According to El Espectador, three people died at Matecaña itself when the quake struck, and cracked ceiling panels in the terminal’s waiting areas forced the suspension of commercial operations; the runway and control tower were undamaged, which let the airport keep functioning as a staging point for humanitarian aid and rescue personnel even while commercial flights were suspended. Aerocivil has authorized 20 daily flights for the restart, and with the terminal’s second and third floors still closed, passengers will use two of the airport’s normal six waiting lounges, airport manager Luis Fernando Collazos told Caracol Radio, per El Espectador.

LATAM Airlines Colombia said it will operate two daily flights from Bogotá and one from Medellín to Pereira, for 21 weekly frequencies, with a return to its pre-earthquake schedule of five daily flights tied to the airport’s full recovery. The carrier is also adding two daily flights to Armenia, for three total, while Pereira’s capacity stays limited. LATAM has capped fares at $228,000 COP per segment to Pereira and $234,000 COP to Armenia, plus taxes and fees, and is offering fee-free date, route or cancellation changes, with no fare difference, to passengers with flights booked between August 10 and 31 to or from Pereira, Cali and Armenia; those passengers can rebook trips up to a year out. “With the reopening of Matecaña Airport, we are not only restoring Pereira’s connectivity to our network, but also regaining the ability to put our operation at the service of the region,” said Erika Zarante, chief executive of LATAM Airlines Colombia since January 2025 and a 23-year veteran of the aviation sector. LATAM said it is using the resumed route, along with its Avión Solidario (Solidarity Plane) cargo program, to help move aid and supplies into the Eje Cafetero (Coffee Region).

Avianca is restarting Bogotá service the same day as LATAM, August 26, with Medellín service following on August 27; its initial schedule totals four daily flights, three from Bogotá and one from Medellín. The airline said it plans to expand to 10 daily flights, eight from Bogotá and two from Medellín, as the airport’s infrastructure recovers. Avianca’s rebooking flexibility covers passengers with flights booked between August 10 and 30 to or from Pereira, Armenia, Cali and Quibdó, which the airline named as the four cities affected by the earthquake. “The safety of our passengers and staff is the condition that guides every step of this reactivation, and that is why we are resuming service gradually and in full coordination with the aeronautical authority,” said Ángela María Orozco, Avianca’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and a former Colombian minister of transport. She said the airline would keep expanding capacity toward Pereira “to keep connecting the Coffee Region with the rest of the country and contribute to the recovery of mobility, tourism and economic activity” there.

Avianca is privately held under Abra Group, the Bogotá-based holding company that also owns Brazil’s Gol Linhas Aéreas and holds a stake in Chile’s Sky Airline; Abra has said it intends to list shares in the United States in 2026 but had not done so as of this writing. LATAM Airlines Colombia is a unit of Santiago-based LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE: LTM; Bolsa de Santiago: LTM), which also operates in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador.

Pereira was not the only city affected: Avianca’s flexibility measures also cover Armenia, Cali and Quibdó, which it listed among the areas hit by the earthquake, and LATAM’s flexibility measures cover Pereira, Cali and Armenia. Matecaña — Risaralda’s main gateway and a hub for the wider Coffee Region — was among the hardest-hit facilities, with its commercial terminal closed for more than two weeks. Both airlines are urging affected passengers to check flight status through their apps or websites, Avianca’s mobile app and LATAM’s Mis Viajes tool, before heading to the airport.

Colombia’s civil aviation regulator (Aeronáutica Civil) has fined American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) COP $65.3 million for failing to pay commissions owed to travel agencies on international tickets sold in the country, resolving a dispute over whether commission obligations apply when flights originate outside Colombia.

The sanction was issued through Resolution 02124 of July 3, 2026 by the Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronáutica Civil (Aerocivil), which determined that American Airlines had breached Resolution 3596 of 2006, the regulation establishing minimum commissions payable to travel agencies that commercialize air transport services in Colombia.

The case centered on the interpretation of when the commission obligation applies. American Airlines argued that commissions should not be payable for tickets involving flights departing from destinations outside Colombia, including the United States and Canada.

Aerocivil rejected that interpretation, finding that the determining factor under Colombian regulation is where the ticket sale takes place, rather than the flight’s point of origin or destination.

“The rule introduces no distinction whatsoever based on route origin or destination,” – Aerocivil, Resolution 02124.

The regulator added that the commission framework does not exclude tickets based on whether the itinerary begins in another country, meaning international routes remain subject to the rule when commercialized through Colombian travel agencies.

The proceedings originated from a 2023 complaint filed by the Asociación Colombiana de Agencias de Viajes y Turismo (Anato), the Colombian association representing travel agencies and tourism companies.

The complaint requested Aerocivil’s intervention after Best Travel, a Colombian travel agency, issued a ticket on March 31, 2023 and later invoiced American Airlines for a COP $27,095 commission payment on June 18 of that year. The airline declined to pay, citing the itinerary’s origin outside Colombia.

Aerocivil’s Grupo de Investigaciones y Sanciones a las Infracciones (GISI) opened a formal investigation on March 24, 2024. During the process, American Airlines requested that the case be closed, arguing that its due process rights had been affected because no preliminary inquiry had been conducted before the sanctioning procedure began.

The regulator dismissed those arguments and proceeded with the penalty. American Airlines may still submit a recurso de reposición (motion for reconsideration) challenging the decision.

The resolution provides further guidance on how Colombia applies its travel agency commission rules to international airlines selling tickets through Colombian distribution channels, an issue relevant to carriers operating in the country’s aviation market.

American Airlines, part of American Airlines Group, operates international routes connecting Colombia with the United States and other destinations through its global network.

Headline image: American Airlines aircraft with the Aeronautica Civil logo. (Photos sourced from Canva)

Colombia recorded more than 24 million non-resident visitors during the current presidential term and generated close to $34.43 billion USD in foreign exchange from travel through December 2025, figures released by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, or MinCIT) show. The ministry says tourism has become one of the country’s largest sources of foreign exchange, surpassing traditional export sectors such as coal and coffee.

“Today, Colombia demonstrates that it can also generate wealth from its biodiversity, its cultural heritage, the quality of its services and the talent of its people.” -Diana Marcela Morales, Former Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism

The figures were presented during the Foro Internacional de Turismo: Colombia, un destino por explorar (International Tourism Forum: Colombia, a Destination to Explore), held in Bogotá on July 15. The event brought together tourism associations, business leaders, academics and government officials to discuss the sector’s performance and future, including regenerative tourism, artificial intelligence, smart mobility and innovation in visitor experiences.

Promoted under the campaign Descubre la Diversidad de Colombia, El País de la Belleza (Discover the Diversity of Colombia, the Country of Beauty), the ministry reported that more than 24 million non-resident visitors arrived during the administration of President Gustavo Petro, representing a 109% increase compared with the previous equivalent period. Of those arrivals, 14.8 million were foreign visitors.

According to the Banco de la República, Colombia’s central bank, tourism generated approximately $34.43 billion USD in foreign exchange through December 2025, exceeding revenue from coal and coffee exports. Tourism has also become the country’s largest services export, with 57% of services export earnings coming from the sector.

“For decades, much of the country’s capacity to generate foreign exchange was tied to the export of raw materials,” Former Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Diana Marcela Morales said. “Today, Colombia demonstrates that it can also generate wealth from its biodiversity, its cultural heritage, the quality of its services, the talent of its people and the confidence that millions of people place in choosing the country as a destination. Tourism expresses, perhaps like few other sectors, that transition toward a more diversified economy with greater added value.”

Employment has also expanded alongside visitor growth. Figures from DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics) show that accommodation and food service activities supported approximately 1.8 million jobs in February 2026, a 15% increase compared with the same period in 2019. During 2025, the sector accounted for 4.4% of Colombia’s national value added.

International demand has continued to grow during 2026. In the first quarter, more than 368,000 international airline tickets were sold with Colombia as the destination, representing a 16.7% increase over the previous year. The largest source markets were the United States, Brazil and Mexico.

During the first two months of 2026, approximately 10 million passengers traveled through Colombia’s airports, an 8% increase across domestic and international traffic. Between January and March, the country received 1.58 million non-resident visitors.

The government has also expanded tourism investment beyond major destinations. MinCIT reported that infrastructure projects—including trails, docks, boardwalks and gastronomic plazas—have reached 699 municipalities, representing 63% of Colombia’s territory. According to the ministry, 207 municipalities received tourism investment for the first time.

The ministry also said tourism initiatives now cover all 140 municipalities included in Colombia’s Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial (Development Programs with a Territorial Focus, or PDET), a post-conflict development framework for areas historically affected by armed conflict. Through its Turismo para una Cultura de Paz (Tourism for a Culture of Peace) strategy, more than 999 businesses have joined the Colombia Destinos de Paz (Colombia Peace Destinations) certification.

“Unlike other economic activities, whose benefits tend to concentrate in specific production centers, tourism generates value precisely where a country’s natural, cultural and historical heritage is located,” Morales said. “It is a bridge that connects different cultures and brings opportunities to intermediate municipalities, strengthens rural economies, energizes small businesses and creates incentives to conserve what makes each territory unique.”

Headline Photo: Beachside in Barú, Colombia (photo by Loren Moss)

Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil) has granted ALMA Air S.A.S. a Provisional Operating Permit as a non-scheduled public air carrier, marking a significant step toward the return of amphibious aviation services in the country.

The approval allows ALMA Air to continue advancing toward commercial operations for passenger, cargo, and mail air taxi services, following more than two years of technical preparation, operational testing, and coordination with Colombian authorities.

The company’s planned amphibious aviation model is designed to connect regions that may have limited access to traditional airport infrastructure, while creating new opportunities for tourism and regional connectivity.

“The decision confirms that the company has satisfied the requirements necessary for the issuance of the Provisional Operating Permit and represents a significant step forward in the regulatory process, enabling ALMA Air to continue advancing toward the commencement of its commercial operations.” – ALMA Air

More than 75 water operations completed during testing

As part of the approval process, ALMA Air conducted an operational testing programme in Ayapel, Mompox, and the Guatapé Reservoir, evaluating the procedures required for amphibious aircraft operations in Colombia.

According to the company, the programme included more than 75 water takeoffs and landings, completed without accidents, incidents, injuries, aircraft damage, or harm to third parties.

The testing evaluated key operational areas that include flight procedures, risk management protocols, coordination with relevant authorities, and the implementation of the company’s Safety Management System (SMS).

ALMA Air said the exercises also provided technical information to support the development of coordination mechanisms between aviation authorities and other institutions responsible for activities on inland waterways.

A new transport option for Colombia’s regions

Amphibious aircraft can operate from both conventional runways and bodies of water, creating potential connectivity solutions for destinations where traditional airport infrastructure may be limited.

ALMA Air’s proposed operations are focused on expanding access to riverside communities, tourism destinations, and other areas where alternative transport options could support economic activity.

The company believes amphibious aviation could complement Colombia’s existing air transport network by providing greater flexibility for regional travel.

Two years of regulatory and technical development

The provisional permit follows an extended development process involving private investment, aircraft testing, regulatory reviews, and collaboration with government institutions.

ALMA Air recognized the work of Aerocivil, the Ministry of Transport, inspectors, technical teams, and other public officials involved in supporting the initiative.

The company will continue working through the remaining operational steps required before commercial services begin, as it moves toward introducing amphibious air transport as a new option within Colombia’s aviation sector.

Up to 45 E195-E2 jets for regional and domestic growth

Abra and Embraer confirmed an agreement for Abra to acquire 20 E195-E2 aircraft, with 10 purchase options and 15 purchase rights, for a total of up to 45 aircraft, subject to certain additional conditions being met. The E195-E2, the largest model in Embraer’s E-Jet E2 family, is designed to deliver lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions and an improved passenger experience.

Abra said the aircraft will let it better match capacity to demand across its network, open new markets and add frequencies as it builds out its strategy as a pan-Latin American platform. The first deliveries are expected in the fourth quarter of 2027, with the order set to be added to Embraer’s third-quarter backlog once all final conditions are met.

“The E195-E2 will give Abra the flexibility to seize new opportunities as part of our disciplined fleet-allocation approach, generating greater value when and where our customers need it most,” said Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Abra Group. “This agreement reflects our commitment to keep investing in efficient, next-generation aircraft as we expand connectivity and strengthen our network at both the regional and domestic level.”

“We are proud to accompany Abra Group on its growth journey with the E195-E2, one of the most efficient and sustainable single-aisle aircraft available today,” said Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “This agreement reinforces Embraer’s position as a strategic partner for airlines seeking versatility and performance in smaller narrow-body aircraft.”

Embraer said the E195-E2’s aerodynamics, next-generation Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and lower environmental footprint deliver significant reductions in fuel burn and emissions compared with earlier-generation aircraft.

“Together with Etihad, we are building a new bridge between Latin America and the Middle East.” — Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Abra Group

An MoU with Etihad to bridge Latin America and the Middle East

Separately, Etihad Airways and Abra signed an MoU establishing a strategic alliance intended to strengthen connectivity between Latin America, the Middle East and Asia by combining Etihad’s network with those of Abra’s airlines: Avianca, GOL and Wamos Air.

Under the alliance, Abra and Etihad will explore opportunities in network development, loyalty programs, aircraft leasing arrangements, ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) services and broader commercial cooperation. The agreement also contemplates expanded cooperation between Etihad, Avianca and GOL through reciprocal loyalty-program benefits, commercial collaboration and codeshare arrangements, with plans to launch these initiatives during 2026.

Beyond passenger connectivity, GOL and Etihad intend to evaluate a possible operating (dry) lease of an Airbus A330-900, targeted to begin in November 2026, while Wamos Air is expected to support Etihad’s expansion plans by deploying up to three aircraft starting in March 2027. The parties said they will continue working toward definitive agreements governing the proposed initiatives, subject to regulatory approvals, commercial agreements and operational feasibility assessments.

“This alliance reflects the strategy of Abra to leverage the complementary strengths of Avianca, GOL and Wamos Air to expand connectivity and generate new commercial opportunities,” said Neuhauser. “Together with Etihad, we are building a new bridge between Latin America and the Middle East, while exploring innovative ways to integrate our brands and operations in network development, loyalty programs and fleet cooperation. It is an honor for our teams at Avianca to work alongside Etihad; from South America to the United Arab Emirates, this joint effort reflects our shared commitment to exceptional service, giving our customers the best of both worlds. This is an important step in advancing Abra’s vision of a more connected and competitive airline industry.”

“Latin America is an increasingly important market for Etihad, and this alliance creates a strong platform to connect more travelers with Abu Dhabi and destinations across our growing global network,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways. “This alliance brings together two complementary airline groups to create stronger connections between our regions. Together we are strengthening the ties between Latin America, Abu Dhabi and destinations across our global network, expanding opportunities for our passengers and supporting Abu Dhabi’s continued growth as a destination and connecting hub.”

About the companies

Abra is one of the leading air transport groups in Latin America, bringing together the Avianca and GOL brands along with a strategic investment in Wamos Air under an integrated pan-Latin American platform. The company also includes the region’s leading loyalty programs, LifeMiles and Smiles, along with cargo operations. Abra also holds convertible debt representing a minority equity stake in Sky Airline. Avianca, the world’s second-oldest airline, operates a fleet made up primarily of Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 passenger aircraft, along with freighters. GOL, one of Brazil’s leading airlines, operates a fleet built mainly around Boeing 737 aircraft. Wamos Air is a leading European wide-body ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) provider, operating Airbus A330 passenger aircraft. Abra employs approximately 30,000 people and operates a fleet of more than 300 aircraft, with scheduled flights connecting more than 25 countries and more than 145 destinations.

Embraer is a global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, operating in the Commercial Aviation, Executive Jets, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation segments. Founded in 1969, the company has delivered more than 9,000 aircraft and is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 150 seats.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, was founded in 2003 and is based in Abu Dhabi. The airline operates passenger and cargo flights to destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.