Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (Palmaseca International Airport)

Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport, formerly Palmaseca International Airport, is located between Palmira and Cali in the Valle del Cauca Department. The facility occupies a site in the Cauca River valley between the Western and Central Colombian Andes.

Aviation activity in the region originated in 1921. Following the 1932 conflict with Peru, the Colombian government established an Air Force Base and Air National Guard station at the El Guabito site, with operations beginning on September 21, 1933. This site was eventually designated the Marco Fidel Suarez Air Force Base. In 1947, additional facilities were inaugurated at Calipuerto, which transitioned to state control in the 1950s and the Civil Aeronautics Department in 1968. Development of the current airport site at Hacienda Palmaseca was initiated to provide infrastructure for the 1971 Pan American Games. The airport was inaugurated on July 24, 1971, and was renamed Alfonso Bonilla Aragón in June 1989.

The facility is managed by the Civil Aeronautics Department and serves as the primary alternate for El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. It operates 24 hours a day, facilitated by stable meteorological conditions and its distance from urban centers, which exempts the site from noise restrictions. Infrastructure consists of domestic and international passenger terminals, a cargo terminal, a general aviation area, and an airport fire station. Cargo capabilities include a dock for Boeing 747 freighters, bonded warehouses, an in-transit area, and a free trade zone. The airport maintains facilities for commercial and cargo operations, hosting various aircraft types including heavy-lift freighters.