Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport guide

Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport sits inside the city of Medellín, in the Guayabal district, a short drive from the centre. It serves domestic flights only. International long-haul traffic uses José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, about an hour away by road.

The airport opened in 1932 and was closed to commercial flights in 1986 when the Rionegro airport took over. Regional services returned in 1991. It carries the name of Colombian president Enrique Olaya Herrera, and the Nation has recognised it as a cultural heritage site. Carlos Gardel died here in a runway collision in 1935.

The single asphalt runway, 02/20, is 2,500 metres long. Scheduled flights link Medellín with about 34 domestic destinations. Quibdó, Bogotá and Montería are the busiest routes, and small regional carriers fly to Pacific coast and Urabá towns such as Nuquí, Bahía Solano and Capurganá. A separate executive aviation terminal handles private and charter flights, and the apron hosts many hangars. In the first half of 2024 the airport recorded about 35,300 takeoffs and landings.