Aerocivil delegates the signing of the Cortissoz airport agreement to Barranquilla

The acting director general of the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics (Aerocivil) delegated to the entity’s secretary general, Héctor Iván Suárez Betancur, the signing of the inter-administrative agreement with the Special, Industrial and Port District of Barranquilla for the administration, operation, maintenance, and exploitation of the landside of the Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport. The measure was recorded in Resolution number 03120 of 2026, issued on September 30 and published in Official Gazette number 53,645 on October 1, 2026. The agreement provides for a non-reimbursable investment of up to $40,000,000,000 and a term of eighteen (18) months.

The framework enabling the handover

Aerocivil acts based on Article 48 of Law 105 of 1993, which authorizes it to hand over airports under its ownership to territorial entities for their administration under any title, and numeral 26 of Article 4 of Decree number 1294 of 2021, which assigns it the function of promoting regional participation in airport administration. Numeral 18 of Article 8 of the same decree attributes to the Director General the function of issuing acts and entering into the agreements and contracts required for the normal functioning of the entity.

Article 9 of Resolution number 01363 of July 11, 2023, reserved the signing of agreements for the Director General, and its Article 4 delegated to the Secretary General only the contracts of their own departments. For this reason, the entity resorted to a special delegation, further supported by Articles 209 and 211 of the Political Constitution, Articles 9 to 12 of Law 489 of 1998, Article 12 of Law 80 of 1993, and Decree number 1173 of August 11, 2026.

What the delegation comprises

Article 2 of the resolution details the acts and proceedings that are placed in the hands of the secretary general:

• Approve the technical, legal, and financial supports submitted by the competent areas and issue the act of justification for direct contracting.
• Verify that the District accredits the representation and powers of its signatory, as well as the documentary and budgetary supports and the required future appropriations.
• Approve and sign the final text of the agreement and the annexes derived from it.
• Sign modifications, extensions, early termination, and liquidation of the agreement.
• Issue the communications, documents, and related acts necessary for these purposes.

Investment, term, and controls

The District expressed its interest through a communication dated September 24, 2026: to assume the administration of the landside of the airport with a non-reimbursable investment of up to forty billion pesos and to structure an agreement with a term of eighteen (18) months. The delivery of properties is temporary and does not imply a transfer of ownership or of the functions of the Aeronautical Authority.

The delegation may not be sub-delegated and shall be exercised in accordance with the criteria of Article 1 of Resolution number 01363 of 2023. The Director General shall retain control and oversight of the delegated activity and may resume it at any time; the delegate must send a copy of the agreement and its supporting documents within three (3) business days following the signing. The resolution takes effect from its issuance and publication, and will not require a special administrative act of repeal once the temporary condition has been met.

Impact

With the authorization granted, the Special Industrial and Port District of Barranquilla may assume the administration, operation, maintenance, and exploitation of the landside of the aerodrome, using its own resources for up to $40,000,000,000 and a horizon of eighteen months, while Aerocivil maintains the aeronautical authority and control over the delegated matters. For the region, the decision opens the door for a territorial entity to finance and execute works in the land zone of the airport, without this altering the ownership of the properties or the air security and surveillance competencies.

Source: Official Gazette number 53,645, Thursday, October 1, 2026, section I (Special Administrative Units – Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics), pgs. 22-23 (official reference: Resolution number 03120 of 2026).