Cartagena is preparing to broaden its international air network with new and restored connections to major cities in the United States and Argentina. The planned services are expected to give travellers more ways to combine Colombia’s Caribbean coast with Houston, Washington, D.C., Orlando and Buenos Aires.
The expansion is significant for a destination that already recorded strong passenger growth. Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport handled 7,568,265 passengers in 2024, including more than 1.68 million international passengers. The city’s authorities say the additional services planned for late 2026 and early 2027 could add more than 40,000 international seats.
New Cartagena routes and scheduled start dates
Cartagena’s international connectivity stood at more than 16 airline partners and 21 direct destinations by June 2026, with 547 weekly flights reported. Further services have since been announced by the city government.
- Houston: scheduled to begin on December 17, 2026, with four weekly flights.
- Washington, D.C.: scheduled to begin on December 17, 2026, with four weekly flights.
- Orlando: scheduled to begin on December 19, 2026, with one weekly flight.
- Buenos Aires: scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027, with five weekly flights.
- Madrid: restored or seasonal connectivity is listed for 2026, with one weekly service reported by Cartagena.
These are planned or announced services rather than evidence that the routes are already operating. Travellers should confirm schedules and ticket availability directly with the relevant airline before booking.
Why the new flights matter for Cartagena holidays
The new links connect Cartagena with large metropolitan tourism markets and create opportunities for multi-city itineraries. Travellers could pair Cartagena’s historic centre, Caribbean coastline and nearby islands with a city break in the United States or a wider South American journey.
Houston offers museums, restaurants, shopping and access to Space Center Houston. Washington, D.C., provides a culture-focused extension built around the National Mall, Smithsonian museums, Georgetown and Alexandria. Orlando is likely to appeal especially to families planning a theme-park holiday, while Buenos Aires strengthens Cartagena’s access to Argentina.
The routes may also make Cartagena easier to reach for travellers who previously needed a connecting flight through another airport. However, the practical benefits will depend on final schedules, aircraft capacity, fares and onward connections.
Cartagena tourism and airport passenger figures
Recent official figures show the scale of demand behind the network expansion. Rafael Núñez International Airport recorded:
- 5,884,882 domestic passengers and 1,683,383 international passengers in 2024.
- More than 1.9 million air visitors or passengers during the first half of 2026.
- More than 2.2 million air passengers between January and July 2026, according to the city government.
- Another 1.1 million arrivals by land during the January-to-July 2026 period.
Cartagena’s tourism recovery has included air, land and cruise arrivals, although the available statistics do not form one perfectly consistent annual series. In 2022, the city recorded 3,584,262 air arrivals, an increase of 54.83% from 2021, along with an estimated 1.18 million land visitors and more than 620,000 cruise visitors during the final quarter.
Foreign visitors reached approximately 856,000 in 2024, with the United States identified as the leading international source market. Corpoturismo later reported 5.5 million visitor movements by air, land and cruise through November 2025.
What travellers should check before booking
The announcement creates new possibilities, but the routes remain future services at the time of reporting. Travellers considering a Cartagena holiday should check:
- Whether the service is available for their intended travel dates.
- The exact operating days and seasonal end date.
- Whether the flight is nonstop or involves a technical or operational stop.
- Passport, visa and transit requirements for every country on the itinerary.
- Airline baggage rules, connection times and change conditions.
- Airport transfer arrangements on arrival in Cartagena.
Travellers from Ireland should pay particular attention to transit rules if they plan to reach Cartagena through the United States. A direct connection from an Irish airport is not indicated in the announced Cartagena services, so an itinerary involving a U.S. airport may require additional travel authorisation or entry documentation depending on nationality and the nature of the connection.
Cartagena’s wider appeal beyond the new routes
Cartagena continues to combine colonial architecture, Caribbean culture and coastal excursions. Visitors can explore the walled city and GetsemanÃ, then extend the trip with island visits, beaches and boat excursions in the surrounding archipelago.
The city is also attracting premium accommodation investment, including a planned Four Seasons presence in historic GetsemanÃ. That development adds to the range of accommodation available for travellers seeking a higher-end stay, although booking details and opening information should be checked with the hotel operator.
For visitors planning a longer itinerary, the new routes make it possible to structure a holiday around different travel styles: culture and museums in Washington, food and space exploration in Houston, family attractions in Orlando, or a South American city combination with Buenos Aires.
What happens next
The next important stage will be the publication of final airline schedules, fares and booking availability. Planned launch dates can change, particularly before seasonal services begin.
Cartagena’s expanding network is therefore best viewed as a future connectivity boost rather than an immediate change to every traveller’s options. The key takeaway for holidaymakers is to verify the route directly with the airline, check entry requirements for any transit country and confirm that the advertised operating frequency matches the dates being considered.
