Morsilla

Cartagena Airport (CTG)

Cartagena Airport (CTG) is the Rafael Núñez International Airport, inside the city, in the Crespo neighbourhood, about 10 minutes from the historic centre and 15 from the hotel zone. It is open 24 hours, like the taxi service, and asks you to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one.

Children are 2 to 11 years old; infants are under 2.

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Updated 21 October 2026

Hours and operator of Cartagena Airport

Cartagena Airport operates every day, 24 hours. The administrative office, which is not the same thing as the terminal, keeps shorter hours, from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.

The airport is run by Operadora Internacional Aeropuerto Cartagena SAS (OINAC), a company whose objective is to finance, build, operate, maintain and hand back the Rafael Núñez International Airport.

Getting to and from Cartagena Airport

The airport is inside the city, in the Crespo neighbourhood, about 10 minutes from the historic centre and the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center, and about 15 minutes from the hotel zone of the city.

The taxi service operates 24 hours a day, and the city buses run from 6:50 am to 11:45 pm.

What happens when you arrive at CTG

The airport asks you to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and at least three hours before an international one. Those times are a minimum, so with children it is worth arriving a little earlier.

If your flight goes to another country, the airport asks you to check the special requirements of the destination country before you schedule the flight, and to use Check-Mig, the pre-registration on the site of Migración Colombia, the immigration authority, to speed up your immigration process. If you arrive from abroad, it asks you to complete Check-Mig before you reach the immigration control posts. Migración Colombia says the form can be filled in from 72 hours up to 1 hour before the trip.

There is a basic care point on the first floor of the passenger terminal, in the public area, where low-complexity emergencies and patient transfers are attended to. If you need a wheelchair, the airport asks you to request the assistance from your airline in advance and, once at the airport, to go straight to the airline's staff, because the airline provides that service and any special assistance you need.

Cartagena Airport with children

If your child is a Colombian citizen, the airport lists the ID to carry: from 0 to 7 years old, the Civil Birth Registry, a copy of the original issued by a notary and never a photo or photocopy (if it is lost, the passport works on domestic flights); from 7 to 17, the current identity card. For an international flight, the airport's list of requirements adds the passport with any visas, and the documents a country may ask for, such as an authorisation for a minor to leave the country.

Plan your stop at Cartagena Airport

Check with the airline and with the airport's own site before you travel: the terminal arrangements, the airlines and the arrival procedures change. Ask the embassy or consulate of each country on your route which documents your family needs to enter it.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Where is Cartagena Airport?

Inside the urban area of the city, in the Crespo neighbourhood, about 10 minutes from the historic centre and the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center and about 15 minutes from the hotel zone.

Is Cartagena Airport open all night?

Yes. The airport operates every day, 24 hours, and the taxi service to and from the city also operates 24 hours a day. The city buses run from 6:50 am to 11:45 pm.

How early should I arrive at Cartagena Airport?

The airport asks you to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and at least three hours before an international trip.

What ID does a Colombian child need to fly from Cartagena?

From 0 to 7 years old, the Civil Birth Registry, a copy of the original issued by a notary (the passport on domestic flights if it is lost); from 7 to 17, the current identity card. For an international flight, the airport also lists the passport with any visas.

How do I get a wheelchair at Cartagena Airport?

Request the assistance from your airline in advance, and at the airport go straight to the airline's staff: the airline provides the wheelchair and any special assistance you need.

Is there medical help at Cartagena Airport?

Yes. There is a basic care point for low-complexity emergencies and patient transfers, on the first floor of the passenger terminal, in the public area.