El Dorado in Bogotá surpasses Mexico City’s AICM to become the busiest airport in Latin America.
With new routes and airlines, El Dorado leads air traffic in Latin America in 2024.
Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil) has announced that Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport handled 45,802,360 passengers in 2024, maintaining its position as the busiest airport in South America for the third consecutive year. In a historic milestone, it has also become the busiest airport in all of Latin America, surpassing Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM).
Mexico City’s Declining Passenger Traffic
For years, AICM had been the leading airport in Latin America, driven by high demand in Mexico City—one of the world's most populous cities—and the rapid growth of low-cost airlines over the past decade.
However, the Mexican government has taken steps to reduce congestion at AICM, citing infrastructure limitations. As part of this strategy, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) was built to ease pressure on AICM by transferring flights and relocating airlines seeking to expand in the Mexican capital.
As a result, in 2024, AICM’s passenger traffic fell by 6.2%, from 48 million in 2023 to 45,359,485 passengers, according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).
El Dorado’s Growth: New Routes, Airlines, and Expansions
El Dorado Airport has continued its expansion by adding new routes, airlines, and increased flight frequencies. However, Aerocivil has implemented a biannual slot control system to optimize operations.
Following the exit of Viva Air and Ultra Air in early 2022, available slots were reassigned to airlines like LATAM and Avianca, which now dominate the Colombian market. Additionally, in 2024, new airlines such as Emirates, Edelweiss, and JetSMART (marking its entry into Colombia’s domestic market) began operations in Bogotá.
A persistent challenge for El Dorado remains the limited availability of time slots, which restricts airline growth and the introduction of new destinations.
To accommodate rising passenger volumes, expansion projects began in 2024, including the construction of 47,139 square meters of additional apron space, allowing for seven new aircraft parking positions. Improvements were also made to Terminal 2 (formerly the Puente Aéreo), adding 566 square meters of waiting area, 168 square meters for security checkpoints, and three boarding gates with a total capacity of 180 passengers.
With these upgrades, El Dorado will increase its total aircraft parking positions from 91 to 98, enhancing operational efficiency.
Comentarios
Para comentar, debés estar registrado
Por favor, iniciá sesión