Thousands of Travelers Grounded in Colombia as Avianca, LATAM Colombia and others Face over Hundred Flight Cancellations and Delays in Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena and Bucaramanga, New Update

Published on November 29, 2025

A massive wave of flight disruptions has suddenly hit air travel across Colombia. Today, 113 flight cancellations and 109 delays impacted major aviation hubs nationwide. These significant setbacks crippled operations in major cities like Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena and Bucaramanga. Specifically, Avianca flights bore the brunt of the chaos; their schedule showed overwhelming numbers of grounded and delayed journeys. Other carriers, including LATAM Colombia, also experienced substantial problems. Travelers faced immediate hardship at the airports. Clearly, these widespread issues have forced thousands of passengers to scramble for alternative arrangements. The overall situation points to a severely challenging day for air connectivity within Colombia. Authorities now monitor the impact on national travel networks.

Major Airports Affected

The most substantial volume of disruptions was registered at El Dorado International, the country’s primary air gateway serving Bogotá. Operations at the Bogotá hub were markedly affected by 88 total cancellations and 77 total delays. The sheer scale of these interruptions places El Dorado Int’l as the epicenter of today’s aviation turmoil.

Moving to the western region, the Alfonso Bonilla Aragon Int’l airport, which serves the city of Cali, also experienced notable setbacks. At this facility, 9 total cancellations were recorded, alongside 18 total delays. This indicates a challenging day for passenger movement within and out of Cali.

On the Caribbean coast, the Rafael Nunez Int’l airport, serving the historic city of Cartagena, registered 8 total cancellations and 10 total delays. While the overall numbers are lower than Bogotá, the disruptions represent a significant percentage of the airport’s daily operations, directly challenging travel plans for the region.

Finally, at Palonegro airport, serving the city of Bucaramanga, 8 total cancellations and 4 total delays were reported. This facility, crucial for connecting the Santander Department, was also impacted by the operational difficulties faced by the named carriers operating in Colombia. The cumulative effect across these airports means that approximately 222 flights have been negatively impacted by either a cancellation or a delay across these four major hubs in Colombia.

Impacted Airlines

The operational data pinpoints three distinct airline entities whose scheduled flights were caught in this widespread disruption: Avianca, LATAM Colombia and Avianca Costa Rica. The total figures underscore that Avianca bore the primary impact of the day’s events.

At El Dorado Int’l in Bogotá, Avianca flights accounted for 79 cancellations and 23 delays. LATAM Colombia was also significantly affected in Bogotá, registering 7 cancellations and 15 delays. Additionally, Avianca Costa Rica flights were involved in the disruptions at the Bogotá airport, being responsible for 2 cancellations and 0 delays.

The disruptions spread across the other national facilities, with Avianca being the sole affected airline at the Rafael Nunez Int’l airport in Cartagena, where 8 cancellations and 0 delays were attributed to the carrier.

At Alfonso Bonilla Aragon Int’l (serving Cali), Avianca operations were affected by 6 cancellations and 4 delays, while LATAM Colombia contributed 3 cancellations and 0 delays to the total tally.

Finally, at the Palonegro airport near Bucaramanga, Avianca registered 6 cancellations and 0 delays. LATAM Colombia flights were also affected at this location, being linked to 2 cancellations and 1 delay. The collective data reveals that Avianca flights were responsible for the vast majority of cancellations and delays across the four key airports, followed by LATAM Colombia’s operations.

Beyond these specific figures, delays were being experienced by several other Airlines, like Clic Air, JetSMART, SATENA and more.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

Given the substantial number of flight interruptions, a definite challenge to the normal flow of passenger traffic into several major urban centers must be presumed. The high number of cancellations and delays implicitly suggests a likely hindrance to travel into key tourism and business destinations. Cartagena, renowned globally for its historic significance, depends heavily on consistent air travel and the reported 18 total disruptions will inevitably cause issues for travelers destined for this coastal city. Similarly, the 27 total disruptions registered at the Cali airport, which links the Valle del Cauca region, will have caused inconvenience for many arriving passengers. The operational issues observed at Palonegro in Bucaramanga, despite the lower volume of affected flights, represent a significant disruption for regional connectivity. While the direct economic consequences are not provided, the scale of the aviation setbacks suggests immediate logistical problems for hospitality and ground transport operators in Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena and Bucaramanga. The reliable movement of passengers is required for the consistent functioning of local tourism sectors throughout Colombia.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

Travelers whose flights were directly impacted by these cancellations and delays are advised to immediately verify their flight status. Given the widespread nature of the reported operational difficulties, proactive communication with the affected carriers is emphasized. The airlines involved—Avianca, LATAM Colombia and Avianca Costa Rica—are the only entities named in the data as being responsible for the disruptions and should be contacted directly. Passengers are advised to secure rebooking confirmation or investigate potential refund options exclusively through the channels provided by the respective airlines. All travelers should retain all documentation related to their original flight booking and any resultant correspondence. Patience is urged for passengers navigating the congested rebooking processes stemming from this significant operational disruption across Colombia.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.