Airlines and services Colombia

LATAM Colombia is the Colombian subsidiary of the LATAM Airlines group, the largest airline in South America, following the merger of the Chilean and Brazilian companies LAN and TAM (Brazil). LATAM Colombia offers international flights from Bogotá and is Avianca's main competition on domestic routes to the country's main airports. Please note that LATAM Colombia usually charges for checked baggage on domestic flights.A mileage program with LATAM Pass for those who travel a lot.

Low cost airlinesubsidiary of Ryanair, Viva Air operates on the same model, with its advantages (especially fares) and disadvantages (customer service, baggage weight limitations, etc.). Viva Air serves many national (and some international) destinations, with interesting connections between intermediate cities, for example between Pereira and Santa Marta, or between Armenia and San Andrés, or between Pasto and Cartagena. Remember to print your tickets in advance, otherwise you will be charged extra

The main Colombian airline. International and national flights to more than 20 destinations in all regions of the country. Avianca made its first flight (between Barranquilla and Puerto Berrio) in 1920, over a century ago! It is the oldest company in operation on the continent and the second in the world. Website in Spanish and English, and there are Avianca agencies in all major cities. Fares are said to be a little more expensive than other companies, but the service is good.

Frequent connections with Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, with most companies. San Andrés with Avianca, Latam, Viva, Wingo. Bucaramanga with Easyfly, Pereira with Viva, etc. Internationally, connections with Panama, Montreal, Toronto and several US cities. Also Paris with Air France Klm (1 stopover). The airport is in the north of the city, 15 minutes from the center. A cab stand at the airport will give you a ticket with the fare indicated for your destination.

Medellín's main airport hosts national and international flights (Madrid, Miami, Quito, Lima, Panama...). The airport is 28 km from Medellín in the town of Río Negro.

Reach Medellín by bus from the airport. Buses leave every 20 minutes from 3:30 to 22:00 (with luggage compartment). Get off like most people at the San Diego shopping mall stop, then take a yellow taxi (reelers with a "personal autorizado" t-shirt are waiting on the spot to catch you a taxi, small parts welcome). Bus fare: $10,000. Count on around $8-10,000 to reach El Poblado, Laureles or the centre by taxi. Count between 1 hour and 1 hour and a half by car in total, depending on traffic conditions.

By taxi from the airport to your hotel, it takes about 1 hour, $75,000 (fixed rate in 2019). By collective taxi (white), count $18,500 per person (departure when the taxi has 4 passengers on board). If you are in a hurry, you pay for the seats of the missing passengers.

To reach the airport from Medellín, same options. Individual taxi ($75,000, plan a minimum of 1 hour from El Poblado). Option two, take a taxi or Uber to the San Diego San Diego Shopping Center gas station (around $7-9,000). The airport's collective taxis are waiting ($16,000 per person, the taxi leaves with 4 passengers on board. If you are in a hurry, you can pay for the missing places).

By bus: departure next to Hotel Nutibara in the centre, or at the San Diego shopping centre stop a little above the petrol station (the bus can be full depending on the time of day). It takes about 50 min-1 hour from San Diego, $10,000. Plan well in advance during rush hours.

Note that there are also local airlines such as Aerolíneas in Antioquia or ADA (Medellín) or TAC (Cali). The latter (see www.taccolombia.com) ensures regular journeys from Cali to Buenaventura, Guapi, El Charco, Tumaco, and Pasto… As well as from Medellin to Quibdó, Bahia Solano, Capurganá and Turbo… flights are also provided since Bogotá.

BOGOTÁ is a dynamic, cosmopolitan city with many tourist attractions. To get to Bogotá, Delta Airlines offers flights from Paris-Orly. Flights are available all year round and offer connections to other destinations in the United States. Once in Bogotá, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities. The city is packed with museums, such as the Gold Museum and the National Museum, showcasing Colombian history and culture. Architecture buffs can admire La Candelaria, Bogotá's historic district, with its cobbled streets and colonial buildings. For nature lovers, the Chingaza National Natural Park offers magnificent landscapes of mountains and lakes. Travellers can also visit Mount Monserrate, which offers panoramic views over the city. Bogotá also boasts a lively nightlife, with numerous bars, restaurants and clubs. Visitors can sample traditional Colombian cuisine, including arepa and bandeja paisa. The city also offers plenty of shopping opportunities, with modern malls and local markets. It is advisable to check specific opening times before planning a visit.

8A-49, Suite 719, World Trade Center Torre B, Bogota, COLOMBIA. Air Canada is Canada's largest full-service airline, providing passenger services to more than 190 destinations worldwide. Together with its regional partners Air Canada Express and Air Canada rouge, the airline carries more than 38 million passengers every year. Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, offers many tourist attractions, including the Bogotá Gold Museum, the Botero Museum and Bolivar Square.

Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales (SATENA) is a company owned by the Colombian State. It serves airports in the most remote areas of the country. In addition to passengers, it transports goods and packages. Due to the size of the aircraft, the weight of luggage is often limited in the hold (15 kg) as well as in the cabin (5 kg). Departures and arrivals in Bogotá take place at Terminal 2 (Puente Aero). Note that it is sometimes complicated to buy tickets from abroad, installing a VPN sometimes makes things easier.

This Colombian company is interesting to go to cities not served by the big companies, like Avianca and Latam. Easyfly, with a fleet of small planes, is regularly increasing the number of its routes and now covers a good part of the country, with also interesting direct connections between intermediate cities, to avoid going through Bogotá every time. Luggage weight is limited to 15 kg in the hold and 5 kg in the cabin. Please note: departures and arrivals in Bogotá take place at Terminal 2 (Puente Aero).

This low cost subsidiary of the Panamanian company Copa Airlines is especially interesting for its fares to international destinations from Bogotá, Medellín, Cali or Cartagena (Panama City, San José, Mexico City, Punta Cana, Curacao, Cancún, Guayaquil, Havana, Caracas, Santo Domingo?) Domestic flights are mainly between the largest cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena) but also with Santa Marta or San Andrés. The weight of luggage is limited to 10 kg in the hold and 6 kg in the cabin.

This tiny airport, still under construction, is the main point of connection between the Choco Pacifico and the rest of the country. In reality, it's an airfield linking Bahía Solano to Medellin. Charter flights (mainly with Pacifica) leave every day. The flight itself is a great experience: with three or four passengers, it's almost like an excursion overlooking the jungle and the Pacific!

Viajala is a very practical platform, born in Colombia, to find a national or international flight. It is intuitive and very efficient. Unlike other search engines, Viajala does not sell air tickets or travel tickets, but facilitates access to the websites of partner airlines (or travel agencies). The purchase of the ticket is done directly with the companies, without additional cost for the buyer. The main Colombian (Avianca, Latam, Viva, etc.) and international airlines are listed on the site.

The smallest of the airlines working on Colombia. Ultra Air is a Colombian low-cost airline founded in 2020, operating since February 2022. Its main base is the international airport of Rionegro, with authorization to serve 29 national and 15 international routes. At the publication of this guide, the company serves, for example, Santa Marta, Cartagena, Cali, San Andrés and Medellín from Bogotá. There are also connections to Santa Marta and Cartagena from Pereira and Medellín.

Apart from the lenchas that come and go from Turbo and Necocli, Capurgana can be reached by plane, exclusively on direct flights from Medellín. Only Pacífica de Aviación has been operating this route since 2022. Located right in the center of the small town of Capurgana, this small airfield is just off the main street and easily reached on foot. Inaugurated following the pandemic, this small airport is still under construction, and the route to/from Medellín is operated daily at no additional cost up to 10 kg of baggage.