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Travelers across Colombia are facing a fresh wave of disruption after Avianca and LATAM Airlines suspended 28 flights and registered around 180 delays in a single day, heavily affecting operations at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá and rippling out across the country’s air network.

The situation has left thousands of passengers stranded or rebooked, complicating domestic and international itineraries at the height of the southern high season and raising new questions about the resilience of Colombia’s busiest airport.

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Scope of the Disruptions at El Dorado

The latest operational squeeze has centered on El Dorado International Airport, the main hub for both Avianca and LATAM in Colombia and one of Latin America’s busiest gateways.

On the day of the disruption, 28 flights were suspended and roughly 180 departures and arrivals were delayed, affecting routes to and from major Colombian cities as well as regional and long haul destinations.

While the precise mix of canceled versus delayed services has shifted through the day as schedules are adjusted, aviation tracking data and airport reports indicate that early morning operations were the hardest hit.

Once initial waves of flights were pushed back or grounded, knock-on effects accumulated through subsequent banks of departures, leaving aircraft and crews out of position and clogging departure and arrival slots at El Dorado.

The delays have spilled over to other key Colombian airports, including Cartagena and Medellín, where Avianca and LATAM feed domestic and international traffic into Bogotá.

In many cases, flights have departed hours behind schedule, while others were held on the ground waiting for departure clearances linked to Bogotá’s capacity and weather constraints.

Why Flights Were Suspended and Delayed

Airlines and aviation authorities have pointed to a combination of structural and short-term factors behind the latest day of disruption.

El Dorado has been operating close to or beyond its recommended capacity, especially during peak morning and evening hours, with ground and airspace congestion magnifying the impact of any adverse weather or technical issue.

Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority has increasingly used a Ground Delay Program at Bogotá to manage demand that exceeds the airport’s operational capacity.

When this program is activated, flights are held at origin airports or rescheduled into later time slots to prevent gridlock in Bogotá’s airspace and on its taxiways.

While the measure stabilizes safety and flow, it also results in large clusters of delays, as airlines must retime or combine departures, particularly on dense domestic routes.

Seasonal factors are compounding the problem. Low morning visibility associated with Bogotá’s geography and current weather patterns frequently forces spacing between takeoffs and landings to increase. Any runway or taxiway maintenance work reduces flexibility even further.

With carrier schedules already tight and aircraft utilization high, there is little slack in the system to absorb such shocks, leading to cascading delays and targeted cancellations.

Avianca and LATAM’s Operational Response

Avianca, Colombia’s flag carrier and the largest operator at El Dorado, has been responsible for the majority of disrupted flights, reflecting its large network and dense schedule in the domestic market.

The airline has activated contingency plans that prioritize maintaining core trunk routes while canceling or consolidating less critical frequencies, particularly on routes served multiple times per day.

LATAM Airlines, which also operates a substantial domestic and regional network from Bogotá, has likewise implemented schedule adjustments.

The carrier has pointed travelers to its digital channels and service counters to verify itinerary changes, offering itinerary rebooking on alternative dates and, in some cases, on different routes that bypass Bogotá when possible.

Both airlines have said that they are working with the Civil Aviation Authority to smooth out the congestion pattern.

For passengers already at the airport, both carriers have deployed additional staff at service desks, though reports from the terminal describe long lines and high frustration levels.

Airlines have encouraged travelers to use mobile apps and websites to avoid queues, but connectivity issues within the terminal and language barriers for international passengers have complicated those efforts.

Impact on Passengers Across Colombia and Beyond

For travelers, the consequences of the disruptions have been immediate and varied. Many domestic passengers on short-haul routes have found themselves rebooked later the same day or the next, but those with onward international connections frequently face more complex rearrangements.

Missed connections in Bogotá can mean overnight stays, rerouting through other regional hubs, or multi-day delays on long haul trips.

Leisure travelers headed to Caribbean destinations such as San Andrés or Cartagena, as well as business travelers commuting between Bogotá and cities like Medellín and Cali, have reported missed meetings, lost hotel nights, and unexpected expenses for meals and accommodation.

In some cases, families traveling with children or elderly relatives have been forced to spend long hours in crowded departure halls, with limited seating and overstretched amenities.

Foreign visitors, including tourists using Bogotá as a gateway to the wider region, have also encountered challenges understanding their rights and navigating compensation or refunds.

Without direct flights home available on the same day, many have opted to accept rebooking on alternate carriers or different routings, often at the cost of longer travel times and additional layovers.

Passenger Rights and What Travelers Can Do

Colombian passenger protection rules provide certain safeguards for travelers affected by cancellations and long delays, particularly when disruptions are within an airline’s control.

These may include rerouting at no additional cost, voucher or cash refunds where the passenger chooses not to travel, and, in specific circumstances, coverage of meals and accommodation when overnight stays result directly from significant schedule changes.

However, when delays are primarily attributed to weather, airport congestion, or air traffic control measures, compensation in the form of cash payments is more limited, and assistance may vary by carrier policy.

Travelers are therefore advised to review the contract of carriage and customer service commitments of Avianca and LATAM, and to keep detailed records of boarding passes, receipts, and written notices of delay or cancellation provided by the airline.

Experts also recommend that passengers proactively manage their itinerary as soon as a delay becomes apparent. This can include checking airline apps for self-service rebooking options, contacting call centers rather than queuing in person, and monitoring the status of connecting flights from other airports.

Travel insurance covering missed connections and delays can offer an additional layer of protection, though coverage levels and exclusions differ widely.

Strain on Bogotá’s Air Infrastructure

The disruption has highlighted longer-term concerns about Bogota’s air infrastructure and its ability to handle continued growth in passenger volumes.

El Dorado has already surpassed levels that industry bodies recommend for smooth operations per hour, and the combination of weather-sensitive approaches and limited runway capacity makes the airport particularly vulnerable to systemic delays.

While authorities have introduced traffic management tools and airlines have been asked to adjust schedules and increase aircraft size on key routes, these measures are increasingly seen as stopgaps rather than structural solutions.

Industry observers argue that without broader investments in additional runway capacity, improved air traffic management technology, and more balanced use of secondary airports, Bogotá will continue to face periodic breakdowns in reliability.

For airlines like Avianca and LATAM, this environment complicates long term planning. Fleet and schedule decisions depend on predictable slot availability and turnaround times.

When those assumptions are regularly disrupted, carriers incur higher operating costs and must factor in greater buffers, which can ultimately translate into higher fares or reduced frequencies on marginal routes.

How the Disruptions Compare to Previous Incidents

The current wave of disruptions is not the first major operational challenge to hit Colombian air travel in recent months.

Previous episodes involving dozens of cancellations and over a hundred delays have underscored the vulnerability of the country’s air network to any disturbance at El Dorado, whether triggered by severe weather, infrastructure work or capacity management changes.

Compared with earlier disruption days, the suspension of 28 flights and about 180 delays places this latest incident among the more severe events in terms of scale.

In each case, Avianca and LATAM have featured prominently in the statistics simply because they operate the bulk of domestic capacity and a significant share of regional links. Travelers, particularly those connecting through Bogotá, have borne the brunt of the repeated irregular operations.

These patterns have fueled calls from consumer groups and tourism stakeholders for strengthened oversight of schedule planning, clearer communication protocols to passengers, and a more ambitious time frame for infrastructure upgrades.

The tourism sector, which depends on reliable connectivity to key cities and resort areas, is especially sensitive to repeated breakdowns during peak travel seasons.

FAQ

Q1. Which airlines are most affected by the latest disruptions in Colombia?
Avianca and LATAM Airlines have been the most affected, as they account for the majority of suspended flights and delays linked to congestion and operational constraints at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.

Q2. How many flights have been suspended and delayed?
On the day of the incident, 28 flights were suspended and around 180 experienced delays, affecting both domestic and international services across the Colombian network.

Q3. Why is El Dorado International Airport at the center of the problem?
El Dorado is Colombia’s main hub and operates near or above its recommended capacity during peak hours. Any weather, technical or air traffic control issue at Bogotá quickly cascades through the system, producing widespread delays and cancellations.

Q4. What is the Ground Delay Program mentioned in relation to Bogotá?
The Ground Delay Program is a traffic management tool used by aviation authorities to regulate flight demand when it exceeds an airport’s capacity. It requires airlines to hold or reschedule departures so that arrivals and departures into Bogotá are spaced more safely and efficiently.

Q5. How are Avianca and LATAM assisting affected passengers?
Both airlines are offering rebooking on alternative flights, changes of travel dates subject to availability, and, in some cases, refunds or vouchers. They are directing passengers to their mobile apps, websites and airport service counters for real time options.

Q6. Are passengers entitled to compensation for delays and cancellations?
Compensation depends on the cause of the disruption and applicable regulations. When delays are within the airline’s control, passengers may be entitled to rebooking, refunds and in some cases additional compensation or assistance. When delays are primarily caused by weather or air traffic control, compensation in cash is more limited.

Q7. What should travelers do if their flight is delayed or canceled?
Travelers should first check the airline’s app or website for updated status and self service rebooking options, then contact customer service if needed. Keeping receipts, boarding passes and written notices from the airline is important if they later seek refunds, compensation or insurance claims.

Q8. Are connections through Bogotá especially vulnerable during such events?
Yes. Because Bogotá functions as the main connecting hub, delays or capacity restrictions at El Dorado tend to disrupt onward flights. Passengers with tight connections are more likely to miss onward services and may need to be rerouted or accommodated overnight.

Q9. How does this situation affect Colombia’s tourism sector?
Frequent large scale disruptions can undermine confidence among domestic and international travelers, leading to itinerary changes, higher costs for hotels and tour operators, and potential reputational damage for key destinations that rely heavily on air access.

Q10. Is the problem likely to recur in the near future?
Industry observers expect similar disruptions to remain a risk as long as El Dorado operates near its capacity limits and is exposed to seasonal weather and infrastructure constraints. While mitigation measures are in place, structural improvements to airport capacity and traffic management will take time to materialize.