Colombia's main airports, from sea level to 2,548 metres.
An independent guide to Colombia's four busiest airports: Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and Cali. Where each one actually is, how they differ, and how to get from the terminal to where you're staying.
One email when private transfers open at the airport you pick. No newsletter, and we never share your address.
Pick your airport. Each one has its own guide.
Every airport in the network has a dedicated site with arrival information and, once booking opens, fixed-price private transfers run by licensed local companies. The line on each card sketches the drive from terminal to city: downhill, uphill or level.
SKRG
José María Córdova International
Not in Medellín: it's out on the Rionegro plateau, and the road drops a long, winding way into the Aburrá Valley. Colombia's second-busiest airport.
- Located in
- Rionegro, Antioquia
- To the city
- ≈35 km to El Poblado
- Elevation
- ≈2,142 m
- Operator
- Airplan
SKBO
El Dorado International
Inside the city, on the high savanna. Short in kilometres, long in minutes — Bogotá traffic, not distance, decides when you arrive. The country's main hub.
- Located in
- Fontibón, Bogotá D.C.
- To the city
- ≈15 km to Chapinero
- Elevation
- ≈2,548 m
- Operator
- Opain
SKCG
Rafael Núñez International
In the city itself, in Crespo, a few kilometres from the walled centre. The ride is short; heat, luggage and hotel access in the old town are what need planning.
- Located in
- Crespo, Cartagena
- To the city
- ≈3 km to the Centro Histórico
- Elevation
- ≈2 m
- Operator
- OINAC
SKCL
Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International
Not in Cali: it's in Palmira, across the cane fields of the Cauca Valley. A fast, straight road by day and a genuinely dark one late at night.
- Located in
- Palmira, Valle del Cauca
- To the city
- ≈20 km to Cali
- Elevation
- ≈964 m
- Operator
- Aerocivil (since Sept 2025)
Distances and elevations are approximate and for orientation. Together these four airports handled about 74% of Colombia's air passengers in January–June 2026 (Aerocivil data). Full comparison →
Four things that catch people out
None of these are secrets. They just aren't obvious from a booking site that says "Medellín" or "Cali".
Medellín's airport isn't in Medellín
José María Córdova is in Rionegro, on the other side of the mountains, about 35 km from El Poblado. The city's other airport, Olaya Herrera, only handles domestic regional flights, so check which one your ticket says.
Cali's airport is in Palmira
Alfonso Bonilla Aragón sits across the Cauca Valley, around 20 km from the city. It's an easy drive in daylight; late arrivals are why people pre-book here.
You enter Colombia at your first airport
Fly in via Bogotá and on to Medellín, Cartagena or Cali, and immigration happens in Bogotá, even though you're only connecting. How it works →
Check-MIG is optional, and free
Migración Colombia says the pre-registration form isn't mandatory, but recommends it. Any site charging you for it isn't Migración. What the official sources say →
Colombia's other international airports
Several smaller airports also take international flights. We don't run transfer sites for them, but if your trip starts in one of these regions, they may beat a connection through Bogotá.
The questions that cross airports
City-level detail lives on each airport's own site. These are the questions that don't belong to one city.
Which airport should you fly into?
By destination, by trip type, and by where you're flying from.
Read the guide → EntryCheck-MIG in 2026
Optional, free, and still worth doing. What Migración Colombia actually says.
Read the guide → ConnectionsConnecting through Bogotá
Immigration, re-checking bags, and which of El Dorado's two terminals you need.
Read the guide → DataThe airports compared
Traffic, elevation, distance to town, and who runs each airport now.
See the comparison →The guides are live. Booking opens next.
We'd rather tell you the stage we're at than oversell a service that isn't taking bookings yet.
Airport guides
Orientation for all four airports, plus the cross-airport guides on this site. Changing facts carry a review date and a source.
Operator agreements
We're collecting rate sheets from licensed special-transport companies. Every route we publish will have a signed price behind it.
Transfer booking
Medellín opens first; Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali follow once the model is proven there. The launch list is how you'll hear first.
Arranging arrivals for patients, guests or staff?
Clinics, hotels, property managers and companies get one contact for arrivals across all four airports. We're talking to founding partners now, before launch.
Before you ask
Is this the official website of a Colombian airport?
No. ColombiaAirports.com is an independent traveler resource. It is not run by, affiliated with, or endorsed by any Colombian airport, Aerocivil, or any airport operator. For flight status and official airport services, use the airport's or your airline's own channels.
Which airport do I fly into for Medellín?
José María Córdova (MDE), which is in Rionegro, roughly 35 km from El Poblado. Medellín also has Olaya Herrera (EOH) inside the city, but it only handles domestic regional flights. More on choosing an airport.
Do I need to fill in Check-MIG to enter Colombia?
Migración Colombia says Check-MIG is not mandatory, but it recommends it because it speeds up immigration control. It's free and can be completed from 72 hours up to 1 hour before your flight. Our Check-MIG guide.
If I connect in Bogotá, where do I clear immigration?
In Bogotá. Everyone entering Colombia goes through immigration at their first Colombian airport, including passengers who are only connecting to a domestic flight. How the Bogotá connection works.
Can I book an airport transfer here yet?
Not yet. We're signing rate agreements with licensed transport companies and completing the legal setup before we take a single peso. Medellín opens first. Join the launch list and we'll email you when booking opens at the airport you choose.
Who actually drives?
Licensed Colombian special-transport companies (empresas de transporte especial habilitadas). We don't own vehicles or employ drivers. We handle the booking, the fixed price and your support; the transport company supplies the licensed driver, vehicle and insurance.
Be first through the door
Choose your airport and we'll email you the day private transfers open there. That's the whole mailing list.
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