Colombia Drone Halts Medellín Airport for 17 Minutes
SECURITY & TRAVEL · COLOMBIA
Key Facts
- —The country Colombia is a close US security partner fighting armed groups that now use drones as weapons. Medellín, its second-largest city, is a major draw for US visitors.
- —Why it matters José María Córdova airport in Rionegro handles Medellín’s international flights, including Avianca’s service to New York. A drone near the runway forces every flight to stop.
- —Why now Explosive drone attacks on Colombian soldiers and police reached a record 176 between 1 January and 1 October, according to a military report.
- —What happened Colombia’s civil aviation authority suspended operations at the Medellín airport at 10:28 p.m. on Saturday 10 October after a drone sighting and reopened at 10:45 p.m.
- —The numbers The official halt lasted about 17 minutes. Passengers reported delays from around 9 p.m. A similar drone incident in August 2025 hit 34 flights.
- —What it means for you Flights resumed the same night. Travellers flying on Sunday should check with their airline for knock-on delays or changed departure times.
- —Still open Who flew the drone, why, and how many flights were diverted or delayed have not been disclosed.
A drone flying near Medellín’s international airport forced Colombia to halt all flights there on Saturday night, 10 October. The Medellín airport, José María Córdova in the town of Rionegro, reopened after a safety check. It matters to US travellers because the airport links Colombia’s second-largest city with the United States, at a time when armed groups are using drones as weapons at a record pace.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority, the Aeronáutica Civil (Aerocivil), announced the suspension on X at 10:28 p.m. local time, which was 11:28 p.m. in New York. It said operations were “suspended temporarily” because of “the presence of a drone” and that it had activated “the established protocol” to verify the situation.
At 10:45 p.m. Aerocivil said flights were resuming. “After the presence of a drone, the verification of the area and the application of operational safety protocols were completed successfully together with the competent authorities,” it wrote, as quoted by El Colombiano and Blu Radio.
How Long Flights Were Stopped
On Aerocivil’s own timeline, the halt lasted about 17 minutes. Passengers told a longer story. The regional outlet MiOriente reported the terminal closed from about 8:45 p.m. and posted images of a drone in the sky, according to Pulzo. People affected told El Tiempo that operations were stopped from about 9 p.m. until 11 p.m.
El Tiempo reported several diverted flights and delayed departures. One passenger wrote on X that his flight had been sent to Bogotá instead. Neither Aerocivil nor Airplan, the private concessionaire that runs the airport, has published a count of affected flights.
The authority did not say whether anyone was detained, whether the drone was recovered, or whether it was flown by a hobbyist or someone with other aims. That gap matters, because drones in Colombia are no longer only a nuisance for airports.
Why Drones Worry Colombia
A report by the General Command of the Military Forces, published by Blu Radio on 9 October, counted 176 attacks with explosive drones on soldiers and police between 1 January and 1 October 2026. That is already more than the 158 recorded in all of 2025 and the 108 in 2024.
Most attacks are blamed on two groups. The ELN, or National Liberation Army, is a leftist guerrilla group active since the 1960s. The dissidents led by Iván Mordisco are a faction of the former FARC guerrillas that rejected the 2016 peace deal. The report attributes 90 of this year’s attacks to the ELN and 72 to Mordisco’s dissidents.
Since 2024, drone attacks have killed 25 members of the security forces and wounded 356, according to the same report. The attacks are concentrated in rural regions such as Chocó, Cauca and Norte de Santander, far from Medellín’s tourist districts. The military classification is not a court finding on any single attack.
There is no public sign that Saturday’s drone was linked to any armed group. The earlier record of the airport points to a more ordinary risk. On 5 August 2025, an unauthorised drone near José María Córdova stopped operations for more than an hour. Airport figures showed 34 flights affected, with four cancelled and eight diverted. Aerocivil said then it was working to identify the origin and purpose of the flight.
The new government of President Abelardo de la Espriella has put security at the centre of its agenda and is preparing an anti-terrorism statute for Congress. One proposal is covered in Colombia Bill Would Adopt US Terror Listings in 5 Days. Its military push against armed groups is described in Colombia Offensive Hits Armed Groups in Five Regions.
What It Means for You
For US visitors and investors, the practical effect was short. Flights at the Medellín airport resumed before 11 p.m. on Saturday, and Aerocivil said the safety checks were completed. If you are flying to or from Medellín on Sunday or Monday, which is a public holiday in Colombia, ask your airline whether your aircraft was among those held up overnight.
In past drone incidents, Aerocivil has advised passengers to contact their airlines directly about schedule changes. Delays at one hub can ripple through a carrier’s network for a day. The airport also serves international routes such as Avianca’s overnight flight to New York, which made an emergency landing in Miami on 9 October after severe turbulence.
The wider picture is mixed. Drone threats are growing in Colombia, but airports have set protocols for them, and Saturday’s response shows those rules are applied. Travellers who follow airline notices and keep some slack in their plans are unlikely to be caught out.
What Is Not Known
Aerocivil has not said who flew the drone, where it was launched, or whether the operator was found. It has not published how many flights were diverted, delayed or cancelled, nor where diverted aircraft landed.
The gap between the official 17-minute window and passenger reports of a two-hour disruption has not been explained. It is also not known whether police have opened a criminal inquiry into the operator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Medellín airport stop flights on Saturday?
Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, suspended operations at José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro at 10:28 p.m. on Saturday 10 October because a drone was flying near the airport. It said it activated its safety protocol and checked the area with other authorities.
How long was the Medellín airport closed?
Aerocivil announced the suspension at 10:28 p.m. and the restart at 10:45 p.m., about 17 minutes. Passengers and the local outlet MiOriente reported disruption from around 9 p.m., which the authority has not confirmed.
Was the drone at the Medellín airport an attack?
Nothing published so far suggests it was. Aerocivil has not said who flew the drone or why. Armed groups have used explosive drones against soldiers and police in rural areas, but no link to this incident has been reported.
Sources: Aeronáutica Civil statements on X, 10 October 2026, as reported by El Colombiano, Blu Radio and El Tiempo; Pulzo; General Command of the Military Forces drone report via Blu Radio; August 2025 incident: El Tiempo, Caracol Radio.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error