Colombia's four main airports, side by side
Traffic, location, elevation and who actually runs each airport, including the operator changes most guides haven't caught up with.
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| MDEMedellín | BOGBogotá | CTGCartagena | CLOCali | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | José María Córdova | El Dorado | Rafael Núñez | Alfonso Bonilla Aragón |
| IATA / ICAO | MDE / SKRG | BOG / SKBO | CTG / SKCG | CLO / SKCL |
| Located in | Rionegro, Antioquia | Fontibón, Bogotá D.C. | Crespo, Cartagena | Palmira, Valle del Cauca |
| To the city | ≈35 km to El PobladoApproximate | ≈15 km to ChapineroApproximate | ≈3 km to the Centro HistóricoApproximate | ≈20 km to CaliApproximate |
| Elevation | ≈2,142 m | ≈2,548 m | ≈2 m | ≈964 m |
| Operator (Sept 2026) | Airplan | Opain | OINAC | Aerocivil (since Sept 2025) |
| Passengers, Jan–Jun 2026 | 7,158,12414.3% of national total | 22,648,36845.3% of national total | 3,829,7137.7% of national total | 3,371,1096.7% of national total |
| Official website | aeropuertorionegro.co | eldorado.aero | aeropuertocartagena.com.co | aeropuertocali.aerocivil.gov.co |
| Our guide | MedellinAirport.co | BogotaAirport.co | CartagenaAirport.co | CaliAirport.co |
Bogotá handles more passengers than the next seven airports combined
Passengers handled per airport in the first half of 2026, from Aerocivil data. Bogotá alone was about 45% of the national total, and the four network airports together about 74%.
Counts arrivals plus departures at each airport (national total on the same basis: 50.05 million). Aerocivil's separate "passengers transported" figure counts each trip once and isn't comparable.
From the Caribbean to the Andes
Cartagena's runway is barely above sea level; Bogotá's is at about 2,548 metres. That changes more than the view. Many visitors notice Bogotá's altitude on day one, and the drive from Medellín's airport is a long descent into the valley.
Operators have changed, and many guides haven't noticed
Colombia's big airports are mostly run under concessions, and several have changed hands recently. It matters because a site that tells you it isn't the airport should at least name the right company.
OINAC, since 2024
OINAC took over Rafael Núñez around March 2024, replacing the previous concessionaire, SACSA.
Aerocivil, since September 2025
Aerocali's concession ended on 31 August 2025, and Aerocivil has run the airport directly since. A new concession is expected to be awarded around mid-2027.
Opain, still
Opain continues to operate El Dorado. The separate "El Dorado Max" expansion concession is still in the award process.
Airplan, still
Airplan, part of Mexico's ASUR group, continues to operate José María Córdova.
Also changed: Barranquilla's Ernesto Cortissoz (BAQ) has been run by Aerocivil since 1 September 2024. Santa Marta's Simón Bolívar (SMR) is operated by Aeropuertos de Oriente.
Beyond the network
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| Airport | Serves | Elevation | Passengers, Jan–Jun 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMR · Simón Bolívar | Santa Marta, Tayrona, Minca | ≈7 m | 1,831,533 |
| BAQ · Ernesto Cortissoz | Barranquilla (in Soledad) | ≈30 m | 1,745,199 |
| ADZ · Gustavo Rojas Pinilla | San Andrés island | ≈6 m | 1,449,380 |
| PEI · Matecaña | Pereira and the Coffee Region | ≈1,346 m | 1,334,779 |
Sources
Checked September 2026. If something here has changed, tell us through the contact page and we'll correct it.
- Valora Analitik — airports by passengers, H1 2026 (Aerocivil data) — www.valoraanalitik.com/aeropuertos-que-mas-pasajeros-mueven-en-colombia-2026/
- El Universal — Cartagena airport's new operator OINAC (Feb 2024) — www.eluniversal.com.co/economica/2024/02/29/aeropuerto-de-cartagena-estrena-operador-oinac-le-apunta-a-mas-conectividad/
- Rafael Núñez Airport — 2025 passenger record — aeropuertocartagena.com.co/en/historico-aeropuerto-internacional-rafael-nunez-de-cartagena-supero-los-7-7-millones-de-pasajeros-movilizados-en-2025/
- 90 Minutos — Aerocivil takes over Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (Sep 2025) — 90minutos.co/valle-del-cauca/aeropuerto-bonilla-aragon-aerocivil-esta-sera-la-inversion-operacion-01-09-2025/
- El Tiempo — Cali airport concession tender timetable (Sep 2026) — www.eltiempo.com/colombia/cali/la-licitacion-del-aeropuerto-alfonso-bonilla-aragon-vuelve-a-tomar-vuelo-fijan-cronograma-para-su-adjudicacion-3587114
- Infobae — Aerocivil takes over Barranquilla's Ernesto Cortissoz (Sep 2024) — www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/09/01/aeronautica-civil-asumio-la-operacion-del-aeropuerto-ernesto-cortissoz-de-barranquilla-no-habra-cambios-en-vuelos-nacionales/
- Valora Analitik — El Dorado Max and Bayunca timelines (May 2026) — www.valoraanalitik.com/megaproyectos-de-nuevos-aeropuertos-el-dorado-max-y-bayunca-demoraran-mas/
- ASUR (Airplan parent) — traffic report, December 2025 — www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/asur-announces-total-passenger-traffic-for-december-2025-302654211.html
- Aeropuertos de Oriente — Simón Bolívar, Santa Marta — smr.aerooriente.com.co/
- OurAirports — airports in Colombia (coordinates, elevation) — ourairports.com/countries/CO/