The Colombian government has unveiled its strategy for reopening international air connectivity with the inauguration of the first two flights from Cartagena with the arrival of the airline Spirit from Fort Lauderdale and the departure of Colombian airline Viva Air to Miami. Flights have also been restored from Mexico and the Dominican Republic among other countries.
Alongside Rafael Núñez Airport in Cartagena, other Colombian airports that will restart operations gradually in will be Alfonso Bonilla Aragón in Cali, José María Córdova in Rionegro (which serves Medellín) and El Dorado in Bogotá.
“This is a key step for the country to move towards the reactivation of the tourism industry in a safe, regulated and coordinated way. The recovery of international air connectivity was one of the strategic actions that we established in ProColombia,” said Flavia Santoro, President of ProColombia. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked with airlines to coordinate their return and develop promotional plans to boost their sales. With strict protocols that guarantee the safety of travellers, we hope that nearby countries will visit our destinations with confidence and have the best experiences,” he explained.
Travellers arriving in Colombia must show a negative result of a PCR test for COVID-19 taken no longer than 96 hours before the stipulated time of travel and whoever has symptoms associated with COVID-19 will not be allowed to get on board. In addition passengers should wear a face mask while in the airport and onboard the aircraft. With Colombian air terminals, the minimum distance of 2m must be respected; on the arrival of a flight, the use of conveyor belts will be maximised; and access to the airport terminal must be done three hours prior to an international flight.
