Wingo, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings (NYSE: CPA), has announced the launch of two new direct international routes from Medellín to Guatemala City, Guatemala, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. With this expansion, the carrier becomes the only airline to operate these specific nonstop segments from José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, which serves the Antioquia region.

The new service increases Wingo’s international portfolio to 10 destinations from the city, complementing its existing network of five domestic routes. According to data provided by the airline, Medellín has become a primary operational base in Colombia. In 2025, approximately 35% of the carrier’s total passenger traffic, representing 1.2 million travelers, originated from or arrived in the city.

“Medellín is a strategic city for Wingo, and these two new routes reflect our confidence in the potential of the city and the response of travelers.” — Jorge Jiménez, Commercial and Planning Vice President of Wingo.

The Alcaldía de Medellín, through the Secretaría de Turismo y Entretenimiento and the Bureau de Medellín y Antioquia, coordinated with airport concessionaire Airplan to facilitate the new frequencies. The Medellín to Guatemala City route is scheduled to begin operations on June 25, 2026, with three weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The airline expects to offer 30,000 seats annually on this route, with one-way fares starting at $108 USD, including taxes and fees.

The connection to Montego Bay is slated for a June 23, 2026, start date, also operating three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Introductory fares for the Jamaican destination are positioned at $159 USD per trayect. This move follows a 2025 pilot program where Jamaica was marketed as a high-interest destination for Colombian travelers.

Jorge Jiménez, Commercial and Planning Vice President at Wingo, stated that these routes reflect confidence in the potential of the city and the response of travelers to direct, low-cost international options. Ana María López Acosta, Secretary of Tourism and Entertainment, noted that the collaboration between the public and private sectors continues to project the city as an attractive destination for tourism and investment.

The expansion comes as the Aeropuerto Internacional José María Córdova continues to increase its capacity as a logistical platform for the country. Javier Benítez, Manager of the airport, indicated that the arrival of these routes reaffirms the facility’s potential to facilitate international business and connection for the region.

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.

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

“Adding Medellín to our network reflects our desire to expand our network while meeting a real demand from our clients for both leisure travel and family reunions,” said Sebastian Ponce, Transat’s chief revenue officer. “This expansion is in line with our strategy of targeted growth from Toronto, focusing on high-potential markets such as Colombia.”

The new service, which is still subject to final regulatory approval, will also add a frequency to the flight schedule to Cartagena from Toronto, strengthening Air Transat’s presence in this destination. This approach, says Air Transat, enables the airline to optimize the use of its fleet while serving cities that are not yet easily accessible by direct flight from Canada.

Air Transat says that its full Winter 2025-2026 program, including the start date of operations and the opening of sales, will be announced soon.

Photo credit: Air Transat.

The Santo Domingo-based carrier, which announced the new route last month, cited the Colombian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (ANATO) while noting that the number of Colombians traveling to the Dominican Republic increased by 154% in 2022. They now account for the third largest group of international visitors to the Caribbean nation, per ANATO.

“Today we are very proud to be the first airline to connect the Cibao International Airport with the José María Córdova International Airport,” said Víctor Pacheco Méndez, CEO & founder of Arajet, “This route strengthens tourist and commercial ties between these cities and will benefit the entire value chain of the economy of both countries.”

Arajet launched in September 2022 and currently operates in 13 countries. In Colombia, it also offers flights to Santo Domingo from Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, and Barranquilla.

“We are happy about this second direct route from Medellín since our passengers enjoy greater comfort, saving time and connections to their destinations,” said Javier Andrés Benítez Ríos, manager of the José María Córdova International Airport. “We congratulate Arajet for this new commitment to a wonderful destination.”

The Latam pilot deserves credit for a safe landing despite a broken landing gear, with zero injuries.

The airport’s emergency firefighters were deployed, and priority was given for the stricken plane to return and land.  The pilot was able to successfully land the plane, destroying the forward landing gear, but also damaging the newly repaired runway, that had undergone major maintenance the previous month.

The airport remained closed for 14 hours, with arriving flights being redirected, and departing flights canceled or rescheduled.

Aeronáutica Civil, Colombia’s civil aviation authority, issued a statement regarding the incident saying (translated):

Aeronáutica Civil wishes to inform you that at 3:12pm today, Tuesday, March 29^th, an A-320 aircraft belonging to Latam, with tail registration CC—BAS that covers the Medellín – Cartagena route had to return to the José Maria Córdova airport in Rionegro, and perform an emergency landing.

The aircraft’s crew detected a failure in one of the forward landing gear after takeoff. As such, they decided to overfly the airport area of Rionegro to consume part of the fuel, and land safely.

The landing was made in a controlled manner and in safe conditions for the occupants of the aircraft and the personnel on the ground. The emergency was attended by the aviation firefighters corps, and Emergency and Maintenance Services personnel.

The airport’s director of operations, Javiér Benitez said that removing the disabled aircraft was a complex procedure, as the normal tugs that move aircraft around on the ground could not be used. Benitez said that Aerocivil along with airport operation company Airplan coordinated with assistance provided by competing airlines Avianca and Viva to ensure safety and return the airport to operation. A 100 ton crane was brought in, but the thin aluminum skin of a commercial jet is not designed to support even partial weight of the aircraft. The fuselage was gently lifted, allowing the broken front gear to be placed on a low-bed vehicle, and the aircraft was eventually moved to an area allowing safety and forensic inspections, while the runway could be repaired and reopened.

Latam has stated that its passengers affected by the emergency may reschedule or obtain refunds without penalty.

Local media were able to obtain video of the heart-stopping landing. Video courtesy El Colombiano:

FlightAware ADS-B tracking shows the plane circling to burn fuel before returning for an emergency landing.

ADS-B transponder tracking provided courtesy FlightAware.

Photos courtesy Aerocivil

Viva says it expects to transport more than 50,000 passengers on this route during its first year of operations, while enabling a reduction in market fares of up to 30%, that it calls the ‘Viva Effect’, allowing travelers to find tickets from $149 USD each way, starting from Medellín. From Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali connecting through the Medellín Hub, fares begin at $169 each way.

Viva will fly from Medellin to Punta Cana on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Viva already flies 12 international routes that Viva operates from its Hub at Medellín’s international airport located in the suburb of Rionegro, making it easier for travelers from other cities to connect in an agile way to multiple destinations in Colombia and America.

“We are very motivated by the inauguration of a route that promotes tourism and economic development throughout the region, such as Punta Cana. To this inaugural flight adds to our 14 domestic routes, which also begin operations this month and demonstrate the local and international reach of Viva, as well as its purpose to guarantee air inclusion and connectivity in the country and the continent. In that sense, our route network will continue to grow and will facilitate more connection opportunities for all travelers with Colombia and the world, through our HUB Medellín,” said Félix Antelo, CEO of Grupo Viva.

More details about the new Medellín – Punta Cana (MDE-PUJ) route:

• Operation launch date: 18 March 2022.
• Four flights a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
• Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday: Medellín – Punta Cana 11:50 a.m.; Punta Cana – Medellin 4:11 p.m.
• Connections from Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena and Lima.
• Expected passengers in the first year: more than 50,000.
• Launch prices: from $149 USD final per way originating in Colombia and $119 final price per segment originating in Punta Cana.
• From Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali: $169 each way.
• Viva Effect: reduction of market fares by 30%

No commercial flights will operate for 2 stretches of 36 straight hours to perform runway maintenance.

The airport closure is necessary, says Airplan’s Ana Lucía Pérez Mesa, in order to perform runway maintenance and repairs, and the shutdown has been coordinated with the commercial passenger and freight carriers that use the airport.

“As part of the Airplan maintenance program, periodic measurements are undertaken to ascertain the runway pavement condition. Based on recent measurements, actions are necessary to guarantee the maximum useful life and operational safety (of the runway). After carrying out some measurements, we determined that the runway should be [repaired] in two areas in order to restore optimal conditions and extend the runway’s remaining lifespan,” said airport manager Fredy Jaramillo Giraldo.

• ·        First closing: Saturday, February 19 from 2 a.m. m. until Sunday, February 20 at 2 p.m. m. (36 hours).
• ·        Second closing: Saturday, February 26 from 2 a.m. m. until Sunday February 27 at 2 pm (36 hours).

The work to be done requires extended periods of time to guarantee quality, so will take place over two consecutive weekends for a total of 72 hours of closure.

“We are aware of the discomfort and inconvenience that these works generate in the public, so we reiterate that they are necessary to ensure safety of everyone, and together with the airlines and authorities, all options were pursued so that airport operation is impacted as little as possible,” added Giraldo.

Also read: “Bla Bla Bla!” Avianca Denounced By Colombia’s Vice President, Celebrities For Turning Its Back On Passengers

Above photo: A General Dynamics F-16 belonging to the US Air Force Thunderbirds takes off from Medellín’s International Airport  during the 2019 semi-annual F-AIR air show (photo © Loren Moss)

Flights begin March 18, and Viva says it expects to transport in excess of 51,000 passengers during the route’s first year, with it’s “Viva Effect” lowering the fares of competing airlines by as much as 20%. Connecting itineraries from Cali, Cartagena and Bogotá will start at $133 each way.

Viva will initially fly between Medellín (MDE) and Punta Cana (PUJ) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

“At Viva we continue to connect Colombia inside and outside the country from our connection center, Hub Medellín. The announcement of this new route to Punta Cana ratifies our international expansion plan and strengthens our market share. We remain firm in our purpose to boost the air sector in the region and boost tourism, today our network of connections increases to 34 domestic and 10 international routes, giving the opportunity to more passengers to fly to the best destinations and with the best punctuality in the country,” said Viva’s CEO Félix Antelo (above photo).

Viva reminded passengers that for the third year straight, it is the most punctual airline in Colombia, exceeding a 90% on-time rating across all itineraries, and has implemented strict biosecurity protocols to ensure safety during the global pandemic.

The collaborators have set up a booth from 8am to 5pm daily in October in the airport where travelers can learn more about the causes of breast cancer and perform a breast self-examination for early detection that affects 63.9 out of every 100,000 women over 15 years of age in the country, according to the World Health Organization.

“At Viva we believe that prevention is the best tool to save lives, that is why today we join with Profamilia and its “Primero Tú” campaign, so that many people can learn why breast self-examination is so important and how to do it. In this activity, anyone can come to learn more about the early detection of the disease,” said Tatiana Vásquez, Executive Director of Fundación Viva, Viva’s charitable foundation.

The three organizations also sponsored a breast cancer awareness flight from Medellín to Cartagena full of surprises from Viva, ProFamilia and D’Lunaas to deliver the messages of prevention and awareness and self-examination.

The two types of female cancer responsible for the highest death rates are breast cancer and cervical cancer. However, fatalities from both are largely preventable with early detection and awareness. “At Profamilia we are convinced that self-care is the most effective tool for prevention. We want girls and women of all ages in the country to know their rights and empower themselves in the face of breast cancer,” said Marta Royo, Executive Director of Profamilia.

“Sharing with our travelers a message of empowerment and, above all, of prevention to combat the problem is a commitment that Fundación Viva has as its pillars. For this reason, today we paint the skies pink, to raise awareness,” added Vásquez.