Between January and September 2025, Colombia registered 4,875,830 non-resident visitors, according to figures released by Migración Colombia and the Office of Economic Studies (OEE) of the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT).

Air traffic data from the Aeronáutica Civil indicates that 37 million passengers traveled on regular flights between January and August 2025. This volume represents a 2% increase compared to the same period in 2024 and an 18.6% increase relative to 2023.

Of the total passenger volume, 20.9 million passengers flew on domestic routes, while 16.2 million were on international routes. The 7.3% increase in international traffic over the 15.1 million recorded in 2024 reflects the expansion of the country’s air connectivity, says the ministry.

In August 2025, 4,998,176 passengers were mobilized on regular flights, including 2.8 million domestic and 2.18 million international passengers. This monthly total was a 0.1% increase from August 2024 and a 14.6% increase compared to August 2023.

Geographically, El Dorado Airport in Bogotá processed 69% of all international passengers. The primary international hubs following Bogotá were the José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro (Medellín) and the Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena.

International Visitor Composition and Source Markets

The 4.87 million non-resident visitors recorded from January to September 2025 included 3,467,026 foreign nationals, 1,191,475 Colombian residents living abroad, and 217,329 international cruise ship passengers.

While the total number of non-resident visitors showed a 4.2% reduction compared to 2024, the specific segment of foreign non-residents increased by 4.5% during the nine-month period. Foreign non-resident arrivals have accumulated a 14.8% growth relative to 2023 figures.

The US remained the largest source market, accounting for 22.7% of the total foreign visitors. Other principal source countries were Mexico (11.4%), Ecuador (7.6%), and Peru (5.2%).

In terms of arrival points, Bogotá received 38.5% of foreign non-resident visitors, followed by the departments of Antioquia (26.9%) and Bolívar (16.7%). These departments continue to concentrate the majority of international tourism activity in the nation.

The September figures indicate sustained international engagement with Colombia and the continued activity of the country’s air travel sector. The increased foreign visitor count and expanded air traffic volume correlate with regional economic activity.

“Under no circumstances may anyone outside the air traffic control services be permitted to manipulate the control communications equipment.” – Aerocivil

According to a statement from Aerocivil, the agency took immediate action following the incident. Through Resolution 1923, issued on July 25, the aeronautical licenses of the air traffic controllers directly involved have been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

In addition to the suspensions, the Office of Internal Disciplinary Control has opened a case (2025/178) into five other officials who may have been connected to the event. The aviation authority has also announced its intention to refer the findings of its internal investigation to the Attorney General’s Office of Colombia to determine whether the acts warrant criminal charges against the controllers.

Video shows the teen providing runway coordinates, directions, landing authorizations & other weather information to airline pilots.

In its public statements, Aerocivil tried to reassure the public, saying that while the incident represents a “serious violation of air safety regulations,” established security protocols were activated, and at no point were active flight operations compromised. The authority emphasized that the actions of the individuals under investigation do not reflect the standards of the majority of its air traffic control professionals.

El Dorado International Airport is operated by Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional (OPAIN S.A.), a private consortium. The airport is a critical hub for passenger and cargo traffic in Latin America. OPAIN has not yet issued a public statement on the matter.

Video provided by RCN

This is the third meeting between Petro and Sheinbaum in just three months: They had previously met during Sheinbaum’s inauguration as Mexico’s first female president on October 1 and later during the G20 summit in Brazil in November, where they had a private meeting reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation.

According to a press release from the Colombian side, the two leaders agreed to boost coordination on migration management, aiming to improve the processes in the flow of people between the countries. Petro’s administration also emphasized the need to ensure better treatment for Colombian citizens who transit through Mexican airports, following complaints of mistreatment in the past.

This issue has generated complaints for years. In April 2024 Cambio published an in-depth story on the unjustified and abusive behavior of airport officials toward Colombian travelers. “Regardless of the measures being taken by the Embassy, Colombians continue to face xenophobia and mistreatment by immigration officials in Mexico. This includes psychological and verbal abuse, extortion, and unjustified denials of entry, all without access to effective mechanisms to defend their rights, either in Mexico or Colombia”, mentioned the article.

According to Cambio, during the first three months of 2024 alone, 13,839 Colombians were denied entry to Mexico at the airport.

Short after the publication of this piece, the Colombian Ambassador to Mexico, Moisés Ninco Daza, held a meeting with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Migration Institute, the Migration Policy Unit of the Ministry of the Interior, and the airlines operating between the two countries, that led to a series of agreements that were reached to “improve the treatment of Colombian nationals, eliminating any form of abuse or discrimination,” as Ambassador Ninco announced via Twitter/X.

Nevertheless, the issue was still central in the meeting Petro and Sheinbaum held in December. They also discussed other issues, such as how to deepen collaboration on historical and cultural initiatives, particularly with a new project to locate the remains of José María Melo, a 19th-century Colombian leader whose legacy has been important for Petro.

In an effort of maintaining strong diplomatic relations and fostering regional stability, Petro has also held recent meetings with the presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, and from Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou.

Headline photo: Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (Photo: Presidencia de la República de Colombia).

Esto sucede a esta hora en el @BOG_ELDORADO en Migracion
Inaudito pic.twitter.com/Z6DQ0P2BRq

— JQ (@drjairoquintana) August 15, 2023

Over the past few years travelers entering Colombia have faced wait times of three to four hours at key airports, including Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport and José María Córdova Airport in Rionegro. These delays were the result of a critical shortage of personnel, leaving migration officers unable to process the increasing flow of passengers efficiently.

The problem escalated during peak travel seasons, exposing vulnerabilities in Colombia’s ability to manage its growing role as a tourist and business destination. The surge in tourism, celebrated as a sign of Colombia’s economic and cultural growth, placed additional pressure on already understaffed migration offices.

On December 3, 2024, the two main unions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs —the Union Nacional Sindical de Empleados de Migración Colombia y Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (UNASEMIG) and the Organización Sindical de Empleados de Migración Colombia (OSEMCO)— declared a strike. This protest, described as a “plan tortuga” or work slowdown, led to chaos at major airports and sparked widespread criticism. Travelers faced hours-long delays, prompting urgent intervention by government officials.

The unions cited unfulfilled promises made in 2023, when a decree added 123 new jobs to the migration workforce, leaving over 500 positions unaddressed. The unions also demanded better working conditions and technical training for employees, arguing that the current staffing levels were insufficient to handle the nation’s migration demands.

“Immigration officers are not even able to eat, they cannot go to the bathroom,” said Yeison Mesa, president of OSEMCO, to Blu Radio.

A Swift Response from the Foreign Ministry

Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo acted quickly, meeting with union representatives to negotiate a resolution. During the discussions, they addressed the staffing shortage, technical capacity-building measures, and improvements in employee working conditions.

“The dialogue always will be the way forward,” said Murillo. In a X/Twitter post, he praised the role of migration officers, noting their contributions to controlling migratory flows and promoting tourism. “The growth of tourism has been significant in recent months, and it is thanks to the collective effort of everyone involved,” he added.

On December 5, 2024, the government issued a decree modifying previous legislation regarding Migration Colombia’s workforce. This decree officially created 544 new positions that are expected to avoid delays and improve the experience for both domestic and international travelers.

“The leaders of the two unions agreed to stop the protests after the meeting” expressed Martha Hernandez, Director of Migration Colombia, via Twitter/X.

The newly created jobs will begin integrating into the migration workforce in 2025. Officials anticipate that the added personnel will significantly reduce wait times at airports, improving operational efficiency and enhancing Colombia’s reputation as a welcoming travel destination.

Headline photo: El Dorado Airport. (Photo: Carolina Cuervo)

Flights to Arauca, via Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport, will run four times weekly, while connections to Quibdó, via El Caraño Airport, will operate three times per week. These routes aim to strengthen regional connectivity, and Avianca’s CEO, Frederico Pedreira, highlighted the airline’s intent to support regions needing robust transportation access. This expansion adds to Avianca’s 40 domestic routes, making it one of only a few air carriers with year-round service to various regions, from San Andrés to Leticia.

Aligned with Avianca’s social strategy, the new routes facilitate access to essential services, including healthcare. Through partnerships, Avianca supports social organizations in delivering medical and humanitarian aid to remote areas, benefiting vulnerable communities in places like Chocó and Arauca.

Flight schedules for these routes are subject to government approval, and tickets are available via Avianca’s website, mobile app, sales points, and travel agencies.

Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aeronáutica Civil (Aerocivil), Reports that a 12-seat Cessna Citation X with a US registration N156VP left the runway as it landed, arriving on a flight from Panamá. According to airport operating concession Airplan, there were no injuries. 7 flights had to be canceled, 5 were rerouted, and 24 were delayed. The airport reopened at approximately 3:25pm.

According to the airport, due to the aviation incident, even though there was no damage to the airport or injuries, flight operations could not resume until clearance was received from Aerocivil in Bogotá.

The type of aircraft involved is a private jet used for private or charter operations and is not an aircraft operated by airlines.

Photo: Torre El Dorado (Twitter)

The incident caused traffic problems on El Dorado Avenue (Calle 26), and temporary power cuts to machinery in the airport such as baggage carousels and jet bridges, disrupting travel, elevators, escalators, and other equipment.  Minor flight delays were reported, such as Avianca 8586 to Cúcuta, which was 55 minutes late due to ground operators being unable to remove the electrically operated jet bridge from the aircraft.

In less than two hours, electricity had been restored. As of publication, airport operator Opain S.A. has not shared details regarding the status of the three injured electrical workers.

This message has been reprinted in its entirety as issued by the US Embassy in Bogotá.

The Embassy advises U.S. citizens to avoid areas around demonstrations whenever possible and exercise caution when in the vicinity of large gatherings as even peaceful demonstrations have the potential to turn violent without any warning.

Actions to Take: 

•        Avoid protest areas.
•        Avoid crowds and demonstrations.
•        Monitor local media for updates.
•        Exercise vigilance.
•        Be aware of your surroundings.
•        Plan for alternative travel routes.

Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Bogota, Colombia
Tel. +57-1-275-2000 or 601-275-2000
acsbogota@state.gov 
https://co.usembassy.gov/

U.S. Consular Agency, Barranquilla
conagencybarranquilla@state.gov

U.S. Department of State – Consular Affairs
1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444

Colombia Country Information

Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates

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For those passengers who have already purchased business class tickets, renamed to XL and XXL, if the aircraft has already had their business class seats removed, Avianca will assign them to the first three rows of the aircraft with the middle seat unavailable.

Now, upgrades, which Avianca will still give out as before, will mean the passenger gets to sit up front. So far, the airline has not announced any removal of business class on international flights.

Analysis

Avianca’s post-bankruptcy strategy seems to be to compete with emerging low-cost carriers like Viva, Spirit and Wingo by becoming one, rather than staying with a full service model such as Copa or Delta, attractive to business travelers.

The airline has already kicked out many of its most loyal fliers from its lounges, changed its redemption model to make it more expensive to attain elite status, and then United Airlines reduced lounge access for Star Alliance travelers including Copa and Avianca.  so the question becomes: “Why fly Avianca—an airline that once differentiated itself on service and comfort? An airline that defined itself a few years ago as something of a regional Emirates or Cathay Pacific of the Andes?”

It’s true that business-class domestic didn’t get the passenger much more on the flight itself. All flight segments within Colombia are less than two hours in length. No food was served on Avianca’s previous domestic business class. Passengers essentially got a bigger seat and priority boarding.

Domestic business class was still worth the cost for many frequent business travelers as status with Avianca and the Star Alliance once brought with it upgrades and lounge access the Star Alliance network. When Avianca began to have operational difficulties beginning with the 2017 pilot strike and its aftermath, Avianca would often find hotels for stranded Lifemiles elite passengers while leaving regular customers to sleep overnight on the airport floor.

Still, with business travelers, time is money. The most exquisite lounges in the world (which Avianca does not offer) cannot make up for canceled flights, missed meetings and connections, and unpredictability. Avianca’s previous management led by Germán Efromovich lost control of the company and a new team was brought in, but even months before the COVID pandemic hit, board chairman Roberto Kriete was caught on a leaked video calling Avianca “bankrupt” before the pandemic and flight groundings forced the airline into real, legal bankruptcy.

Most airlines that have tried to be all things to all people have failed. Panamá based Copa does own Colombia-based Wingo but manages it as a separate operation with its own infrastructure, management and marketing. Copa does very well as an all-international airline (with the exception of one domestic route to and from Davíd, Chiriquí), a serviceable—though overcrowded lounge in its Tocumen International Airport home base, and little direct pressure on its routes.

Avianca still flies a few trans-Atlantic flights after filing for bankruptcy, but for Latin American and Caribbean destinations, US travelers who want to stay in Star Alliance can connect to most destinations, even within Colombia through Copa, and Delta passengers now have Latam as a partner. Low-cost travelers, and even business travelers who aren’t beholden to a legacy network can choose from aggressive new low-cost carriers and connecting flights between Colombia and Florida in the US are under 4 hours—short flights where first and business class options are less important to the passenger.

Most airlines know they can’t be all things to all people, and don’t try to. Ryanair doesn’t try to be Emirates, and Spirit doesn’t try to be Delta. Automakers face the same challenge. Mercedes and BMW fared very poorly when they tried to launch economy low-end models. Toyota and Nissan set up separate operations, Lexus and Infiniti in order to move upmarket. The question here is: Is Avianca trying to be Wingo or Viva? It does not have the DNA of a low-cost carrier.

If Avianca wants to be a low-cost carrier, what is its value proposition to customers? Why fly Avianca instead of the real low-cost carriers? Lifemiles no longer gets passengers what they once did. The lower Avianca’s fares, the less Lifemiles the passenger collects (unlike before, when they were based primarily on miles flown), and now, unless passengers are flying on a 1^st or business class international ticket, Avianca & Copa status travelers can no longer benefit from many Star Alliance lounges.

In fact, independent lounges not run by an airline are becoming more popular. The Lounge Medellín operates in the José Maria Córdova international airport, open to any passengers that wish to pay admission or join lounge networks like Priority Pass. This option is trending as airline operated lounges have been restricting admission or tightening requirements to members of third-party networks like credit card perk programs or Priority Pass.

Can Avianca successfully reinvent itself as a low-cost carrier? Is there some other strategy that they are implementing? Removing business class from short haul commuter flights is not a big deal by itself. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. But what is Avianca’s strategy? What does the airline want to be, and more importantly, what kind of airline, if any at all, is it capable of being in the future?

The event, organized by Mayor Daniel Quintero and the municipal investment promotion agency ACI Medellin hosted ambassadors from several countries, including The Dominican Republic, Haiti, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Spain, Denmark, Israel and Sweden, and mayors from throughout the Americas, including Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico.

Biosafety protocols were carefully enforced throughout the event.

Visitors were shown many of Medellín’s recent successes, along with ambitious plans such as the new 80^th Avenue light rail project, various initiatives from city agencies, and the Mayor’s controversial plan to close the city’s municipal airport, replacing it with an expansion of the international airport in nearby Rionegro, and a new airport to the north of the city.

Friday, dignitaries were taken on a walking tour through downtown Medellín, then rode the “Tranvia” light rail to the neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where they took the “Metrocable” cable car public transport system to a box lunch and neighborhood performance. The tour was designed to highlight the city’s decades-long efforts at social inclusion, and technological ambitions to create what Quintero calls the Software Valley.

“Now more than ever, we realize that many cities want to know our model and replicate it in their regions to advance in the way that Medellín has done. So this event makes it clear to us that Medellín is a model to the world and that people want to know what we are doing well and that allows us to position ourselves as an innovative territory in the world,” said ACI Medellín’s executive director, Eleonora Betancur.

“The image that the world has of Medellín is of a city that has taken an impressive step. I do not know another city that has changed so much in such a short time and it is a very tangible reality in all the streets and people,” said Hungary’s consul to Colombia, András Beck.