A magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday forced the temporary suspension of commercial operations at seven airports as authorities assess damage to airport infrastructure.
According to Colombia's Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil), the affected airports are Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, which was added later after inspections identified damage requiring further evaluation.
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Commercial flights remain suspended at the affected airports until structural inspections are completed. Only medical flights and government aircraft are currently authorized to operate from those facilities.
Aerocivil said it deployed airport firefighters, search and rescue (SAR) teams and technical personnel to inspect terminals and airside infrastructure. Images released by local media showed damage inside Pereira's Matecaña International Airport, one of the region's busiest airports.
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Several Colombian airlines introduced flexible travel policies for affected passengers. Avianca waived change fees for domestic flights scheduled on August 10, while LATAM Airlines Colombia extended its travel waiver through August 16 for passengers flying to or from Cali, Pereira and Armenia. Low-cost carrier Wingo also allowed customers to change or cancel bookings without penalties.
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The earthquake struck near San José del Palmar, in Colombia's Chocó department, at a depth of about 100 kilometers (62 miles). The tremor was felt across much of western and central Colombia, as well as in neighboring Ecuador and Panama. Authorities continue to inspect airport facilities before allowing commercial operations to resume.
