Medellín’s Mayor Says Colombian Government Ignoring Offers To Help Solve Overcrowding At International Airport

The Mayor’s Office of Medellín has publicly reiterated its offer to provide logistical and human resource support to the national government to alleviate severe delays in immigration processing at José María Córdova International Airport (MDE/SKRG), which serves the city. The offer comes as international travelers report wait times of up to six hours and the city braces for a significant influx of visitors for major annual events.

Medellin’s Mayor Federico “Fico” Gutierrez

According to the Mayor’s Office, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez has sent multiple formal communications since 2024 to the national immigration authority, Migración Colombia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería), urging them to increase staffing and operational capacity at the airport. To date, the national government has not provided a formal response to these requests.

A new letter was sent on July 21, 2025, again highlighting the city’s concern as it prepares for Colombiamoda 2025 and the Feria de las Flores (Festival of the Flowers). These two events are expected to draw tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists, placing further strain on the airport’s already overwhelmed immigration infrastructure.

The situation is critical given the region’s growing tourism sector, which saw over 1.8 million visitors in 2024. The city administration has stated that the current number of immigration officials is insufficient to handle the volume of travelers.

An immigration official with Migración Colombia but unauthorized to speak to the media on behalf of the immigration agency told FInance Colombia that the Petro administration refuses to authorize additional hires, meaning that there are no more than nine, and often as few as four immigration officers to handle both departures and arrivals.

As part of its proposal, the Medellín government has offered to provide resources to support processes such as the Biomig biometric registration system and to deploy personnel to guide travelers, particularly for services like passport claim processing. These measures are intended to create a more efficient and secure entry process in collaboration with the local tourism sector and business guilds.

José María Córdova International Airport is operated by the private concessionaire Airplan S.A.S., which has not issued a statement on the matter.

Headline photo:International Arrivals at José María Córdova International Airport (MDE/SKRG) outside of Medellín. Photo © Loren Moss