The first flight of the Italian airline Neos on the Milan–Punta Cana–Cartagena route landed in Colombia this Sunday, marking the beginning of a new connection between the two countries. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which carried 130 passengers, departed that same evening from Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez Airport bound for Milan.
Colombia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Rojas, highlighted the arrival of the inaugural flight on his X account. “At this hour, a new airline arrives in the country with the inaugural Milan-Cartagena flight bringing 130 tourists to discover the country of beauty,” he stated.
According to Aeronáutica Civil, this route, authorized in mid-year, will operate once a week and is initially scheduled to run until April 2025. Colombia’s Ambassador to Italy, Ligia Margarita Quessep, was also present on the inaugural flight.
Aeronáutica Civil, through its X account, welcomed passengers from Italy with a message of greeting: “Passengers from #Italy Welcome to the #CountryOfBeauty! The city of Cartagena cordially greets you with a warm welcome, wishing you a wonderful stay in Colombia, a touristic and social country, where change is advancing.”
This new connection aims to strengthen tourism in Cartagena de Indias and position Colombia as an attractive destination for European travelers. According to authorities, the weekly flight will increase tourism flows to the Caribbean region and promote cultural and economic exchange between the two countries.
Schedule for Neos’ new destinations
- Milan/Malpensa – Punta Cana flight NO 790 MXP 08:30 – 13:00 PUJ / Sunday.
- Punta Cana – Cartagena flight NO 790 PUJ 15:00 – 16:30 CTG / Sunday.
- Cartagena – Milan/Malpensa flight NO 790 CTG 18:00 – 09:40 (+1) MXP / Sunday.
Neos is the largest leisure airline in Italy, and the second largest in terms of long-haul destinations. The company has a strong presence in the main beach destinations in the Caribbean, connecting Milan with Cuba (Havana and Holguín), Mexico (Cancún), Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre), Jamaica (Montego Bay), the Bahamas (Freeport), and the Dominican Republic (La Romana). It also offers connections from Rome to Havana, Cancún, Pointe-à-Pitre, and La Romana.
The company operates a fleet of five Boeing 737-800, five Boeing 737 MAX 8, and six Boeing 787-9.
