Colombia flight cancellations at Bogota hub hit nomads on 6 routes

What's happening on Bogotá routes

Colombia's domestic network has logged repeated cancellation waves on Bogotá-centered corridors since late 2025, with disruptions concentrated on flights linking the capital to Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cali, Bucaramanga and Barranquilla. El Dorado International Airport sits at the center of the problem, acting as the chokepoint for both domestic legs and long-haul connections to the United States and Europe.

The pattern is recurring, not one-off. Bogotá saw more than 20 cancellations across Dec. 19-20, 2025, hitting routes to Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Montería and Mexico City. A second cluster on Feb. 22-24, 2026 scrapped at least 13 flights connecting Colombian cities with Madrid, New York, Newark and Washington. An April 2026 update logged 38 cancellations in a single wave, including international routes to Frankfurt, Toronto and San Salvador.

Who carries the risk

Travelers booked on tight same-day itineraries through Bogotá face the highest exposure, particularly those linking a domestic Colombian leg to a long-haul U.S. or European flight on a single ticket. Last-frequency-of-the-day bookings on Bogotá-Santa Marta and Bogotá-Cartagena have shown up repeatedly in disruption reports.

Expats and digital nomads based in Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta or Cali who route through Bogotá for U.S. trips are absorbing higher fares, more last-minute schedule changes and occasional forced overnights in the capital after misconnects. Spirit Airlines' shutdown has thinned ultra-low-cost capacity on U.S.-Latin America routes, adding upward pressure on replacement fares.

How to protect a connection

Build layovers of 4 to 6 hours or more through Bogotá when connecting to a U.S. or European long-haul flight, especially during peak season. Check flight status in the 24 hours before departure and again before leaving for the airport.

Avianca and LATAM offer involuntary-cancellation rebooking on the next available flight, one-time changes within a set window without penalties and refunds in some cases. Flexible fare classes carry fewer change restrictions than basic fares, per The Traveler's review of airline policies. Keep digital copies of bookings and receipts for reimbursement claims if a misconnect forces hotel or ground-transport costs.

Read our full Colombia guide for the complete picture.