SATENA: The Airline That Flies Where No One Else Reaches in Colombia

History and positioning

Unlike Avianca or LATAM Colombia, SATENA does not compete on the country's main routes: its role is to guarantee public service obligation (PSO) links to areas such as Chocó, Amazonas, Guaviare, Putumayo, Vaupés and Arauca, where the presence of the large commercial carriers is absent or marginal. In recent years the network has grown markedly, with 72 new routes between 2022 and 2025, growth of 78%.

The fleet

The fleet is made up of turboprops designed for short, unpaved runways: 9 ATR 42s, 2 ATR 72s (with new ATR 72-600s on the way), 2 Embraer ERJ-145s and 2 Twin Otter DHC-6s, the latter capable of operating on particularly short and difficult runways, typical of the country's most isolated areas.

Routes and network

The network covers 81% of Colombian national territory across 26 departments, with destinations such as Acandí, Quibdó, Pizarro, Bahía Solano and Nuquí that for many communities are the only regular link with the rest of the country: SATENA has carried more than 28 million passengers in its history.

SATENA is the right choice, often the only one, for those who need to reach remote areas of Colombia such as Chocó, Amazonas or Putumayo, not for those looking for dense frequencies on routes between big cities, where other carriers offer more options. The most important practical tip: book well in advance and keep in mind that at many destinations the runways are short or unpaved, so bad weather can delay the flight more easily than at a major airport.