FBOs at El Dorado International Airport SKBO BOG

Airport security

Bogotá operates under a U.S. State Department Level 3 'Reconsider Travel' advisory, with active risk indicators for crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.

The city experiences elevated street crime including robbery, extortion, and drugging of travelers, alongside a credible and persistent terrorism threat from dissident armed groups that have historically targeted transportation hubs, public gatherings, and government facilities with little or no warning.

Politically motivated violence and civil unrest — including demonstrations that can escalate rapidly — remain active concerns specific to the Bogotá urban environment.

El Dorado International Airport is a major international hub, one of the highest-traffic airports in Latin America, operated under a public concession and subject to regulatory oversight by Colombia's civil aviation authority, Aerocivil (UAEAC).

No airport-specific published security classification or access control tier designation was identified in open official sources; for a facility of this type and traffic volume in Colombia, standard practice under RAC frameworks includes controlled airside/landside separation, regulatory passenger screening, and coordinated oversight between the concessionaire operator and the civil aviation authority.

Travelers should treat the facility as a high-footfall public environment in an elevated-threat country, remaining alert in both landside and airside areas.

Customs, immigration and regulatory

Hours: H24 — El Dorado is a designated Airport of Entry with customs and immigration services available continuously. Confirm specific international general aviation customs procedures with handler in advance, as GA customs clearance may require advance notification.

Landing permit may be required depending on operator and FAR type. Coordinate with ground handler well in advance of arrival for customs, immigration, and agriculture clearance documentation.

Ground corridor

Ground transport in Bogotá carries a substantial risk profile dominated by opportunistic street crime — including robbery, express kidnapping, and vehicle-following — with elevated risk along routes between the airport (Fontibón district) and the city center, particularly at night or in lower-density transitional corridors.

The U.S. Embassy explicitly prohibits its personnel from hailing taxis from the street or using public transportation anywhere in Colombia; pre-arranged transport via vetted, credentialed professional drivers coordinated through a ground support team is the strongly advised standard for all personnel movements to and from SKBO.

Periodic civil unrest and protest activity, predominantly in central Bogotá, has caused intermittent road closures and transport disruption in 2026; route monitoring prior to departure is recommended.

There are no OFAC sanctions or armed-conflict movement restrictions applicable to Bogotá city proper, but movements toward border departments should be avoided entirely.

City threat summary

Bogotá operates under a U.S. State Department Level 3 'Reconsider Travel' advisory, with active risk indicators for crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.

The city experiences elevated street crime including robbery, extortion, and drugging of travelers, alongside a credible and persistent terrorism threat from dissident armed groups that have historically targeted transportation hubs, public gatherings, and government facilities with little or no warning.

Politically motivated violence and civil unrest — including demonstrations that can escalate rapidly — remain active concerns specific to the Bogotá urban environment.

Country overview

Colombia operates under a U.S. State Department Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory, with Level 4: Do Not Travel designations covering Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), Valle del Cauca (excluding Cali), Norte de Santander, and the Colombia-Venezuela border zone within 10km.

The Global Terrorism Index 2026 has returned Colombia to the list of the ten countries most affected by terrorism, a ranking it had not held for more than a decade.

President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office on 7 August 2026, has shut down predecessor peace talks and launched hardline security operations against armed groups, a policy shift that is generating retaliatory and symbolic violence across multiple regions.

Higher-risk locations nearby

• Cali SKCL CRITICAL
• Guapi SKGP CRITICAL
• Barranquilla SKBQ HIGH
• Bogotá SKBO HIGH
• Bucaramanga SKBG HIGH
• Cartagena SKCG HIGH
• Pereira SKPE HIGH
• Rionegro SKRG HIGH
• Santa Marta SKSM HIGH
• Riohacha SKRH ELEVATED