Air Europa will begin Barranquilla’s first nonstop link to Europe in December, adding a third Colombian destination to its Madrid network.
OAG Schedules Analyser data shows the Spanish carrier will launch flights between Madrid Adolfo Suarez-Barajas Airport and Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport on Dec. 18. Service will operate 3X-weekly using Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
The 4,744-mi. (4,122-nm) route will provide almost 1,800 two-way seats per week, complementing the airline’s existing Madrid flights to Bogota and Medellin.
Air Europa has about 248,600 available seats between Europe and Colombia during the summer 2026 season, up 2.9% from a year earlier. That gives the carrier a 10.3% share of the Colombia-Europe market, making it the fourth-largest operator behind Avianca, Iberia and KLM. However, Air Europa’s share has increased from 9.7% during summer 2025.
Despite this, the wider market is contracting slightly. OAG data shows airlines are offering about 2.42 million two-way seats between Colombia and Europe during summer 2026, down 2.7% from 2.49 million a year earlier. Frequencies have declined 2.4%.
For Air Europa, the new route forms part of a broader Latin American growth strategy focused on its Madrid hub. The airline is offering about 1.96 million two-way seats on 21 Madrid-Latin America routes during summer 2026, up 3.6% from a year earlier.
Its largest Latin American route is Madrid-Santo Domingo, where capacity has risen 36.6% to almost 194,000 seats. Lima, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo each have approximately 142,000, while Panama City has grown 7.4% to about 140,200.
The carrier also plans to begin 3X-weekly Madrid-San Salvador service on Dec. 17, one day before the Barranquilla launch. That route will also be operated using 787-8s.
The move comes as Air Europa undergoes a change in ownership. Spain’s government in June approved Turkish Airlines’ proposed €300 million ($342 million) investment, which is expected to give the airline a stake of between 25% and 27%. The transaction remains subject to further regulatory approvals and is expected to close before the end of 2026.
Spanish tourism group Globalia will remain Air Europa’s largest shareholder, while International Airlines Group holds a 20% stake.
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