Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended commercial operations at airports across the west of the country after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on 10 August, with inspections ordered on runways, terminals and other infrastructure. The disruption spread to Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Cali, briefly leaving seven airports out of service before Cali reopened and the network narrowed to six closed airports.
The precautionary shutdowns affected a busy regional aviation corridor and forced passengers to check flight status or adjust travel plans as safety checks continued. Only medical, humanitarian and state flights were allowed at some airports during the response, limiting the impact on essential services while commercial schedules remained suspended.
Avianca was among the airlines referenced in operational updates as carriers worked through delays and rerouting. The closures followed the quake’s wider damage in western Colombia, which prompted aviation authorities to keep restrictions in place until structural assessments cleared each airport for normal operations.