Hi, dear flight-report members and readers!
In this nostalgic FR I'd like to present a domestic flight in Colombia from Bogota El Dorado (BOG) to Pereira Matecana (PEI) on a turboprop ATR42-500 of EasyFly (which was since rebranded to Clic Air and completely renewed its fleet) taken on 28 February 2018.
I've already made another (very short) FR of then-EasyFly on an AT45 (CTG-BGA). Though, that flight was quite dull, and originally it was meant to be operated by BAe Jetstream 41, but sadly the aircraft type was changed to an old AT45 and I was not able to change my plans to catch a legendary Jetstream on an another date.
On the flight from BOG to PEI I got a newer (and much nicer) AT45 and this flight is one of the most scenic in Colombia, as you'll see further. Also I had enough time to explore the nice and quite modern (even by today's standards) BOG T1 terminal, which was awarded as one of the best in Latin America.
EasyFly-2018 -> Clic-2026
EasyFly (VE) was a regional Colombian airline (operating only domestic flights within quite a vast network) founded in 2007 with a sole Jetstream 41 aircraft, which by February 2018 had the following fleet:
ATR 42-600: 2 units.
ATR 42-500: 6 units.
Jetstream 41: 9 units.
Later in 2018 VE started to receive AT76s and more AT46s. In 2019 VE phased out all its Jetstreams. From late 2019 VE started to phase out its oldest AT45s.
In August 2023 EasyFly was rebranded into Clic with the same IATA code VE. As of early February 2026, VE's operates the following ATR-only fleet:
ATR 72-600: 8 units (age from 7.5 to 12.7 years).
ATR 42-600: 12 units (age from 6.1 to 10.3 years).
Bogota El Dorado International Airport (BOG)
BOG, located not far (north-west) from the Bogota city centre, is the main airport of Colombia and, as of 2025 statictics, ranks 2nd among the busiest airports of Latin America with GRU being the 1st and MEX being the 3rd. The name "El Dorado" literally means "The Golden", and it was selected to emphasize ties with the culture of the indigenous people who lived on the place where Bogota emerged.
In 2012 the new Terminal 1 was opened having T-shape for that moment. In 2017 an extension airside hall plus extension domestic pier were built and thus T1 became bigger and h-shaped (with the domestic piers occupying the "n" part and the international pier occupying the "I" part). As of February-March 2018 some renovations were also underway.
There is also the smaller Terminal 2. Until late April 2018, part of Avianca's domestic network was operated from T2, whereas EasyFly and Satena flights were operated from T1. In late April 2018 AV consolidated all its domestic flights in T1, whereas EasyFly (now Clic) and Satena were moved to T2. Thus, I thankfully got to explore the domestic airside part of T1 flying with VE in late February 2018.
BOG is the main hub of Avianca and the location of BOG allows AV to serve virtually any country in Americas making BOG kind of "hub of the Americas". Though, neighbouring PTY (located at the sea level), being the hub of Copa Airlines (also a Star Alliance member as AV, BTW), which is much more successfull carrier than (periodically struggling) AV, plays this role much better than BOG. located at 2500+ MASL.
BOG is well-connected with the city centre by a number of bus lines. It's expected that in 2028 Bogota city will inaugurate subway network, though, BOG will not be included into the first line.
I made my way from the city to BOG early in the morning by taking bus 500 from Centro Andino.
The general view of T1 from the ground level outside. To the right is the main building of T1, to the left is the extension one.
A view of main building T1 and the bridge to the extension of T1 from the ground level outside.
The entrance into domestic arrivals area.
In memoriam of Interjet - the "luxury low-cost" Mexican airline which operated A32X (including 8 2018-built non-ACF A21Ns, 6 2016-2017-built A321SLs, and 7 2017-2019-built A20Ns) and SU95 fleets and had increased row pitch and luggage allowance compared to the competitors. This model and the pandemic difficulties eventually led to bankcruptcy: Interjet went bust in the end of 2020 year. I flew Interjet 3 times during my trips to Mexico in 2016 and 2017: one A321SL and two A320s (in the last case I was supposed to fly a SU95, but that flight was cancelled and I was rebooked on an A320; I eventually flew SU95 2 times in Russia in 2019 and 2022 with Aeroflot and Rossiya Airlines).
Some works between the main bulding of T1 and the extension one, covered by an advertisement of Juan Valdez coffee - one the most known brands of Colombia with franchises all over the Latin America.
The ground-level entrance to the extension part of T1 (dubbed "Plaza El Dorado" as it houses some shops, cafes and a foodcourt).
Views of the main building of T1 and of the adjacent car parking from the departure level from outside.
The entrance to the departures zone.
The El Dorado Plaza and the 2-level connecting bridge between the plaza and the main building of T1, seen from the departures level outside.
T1 BOG: Landside
Let's go inside the main building of T1.
The luggage storage on the arrivals level.
Some cafes nearby. Notice that a fruit shake is called "batido" in Colombia. Guanabana (also known as chirimoya) is one of my favorite fruit in the world, and Colombia is extremely rich with exotic fruits.
The exit from international arrivals luggage claim hall with the list of ground transportation options.
TuLlave (Bogota city transport card) selling point and a small photographic exhibition of some Colombian wonders.
FID for morning departures and arrivals. One can see that BOG is a really bustling hub.
Domestic arrivals luggage claim hall.
Some more cafes in the arrivals area.
"Semi-capsule" seats near the domestic arrivals.
The escalators to the check-in hall.
A general view of the landside interior of the older part of T1.
The map of T1 as of 2018.
AV's ticket sales office.
Domestic check-in desks of Avianca, SATENA and EasyFly.
My boarding pass.
FID for domestic departures with my flight already displayed.
Multiple shops on the departure level of the main building of T1.
A small photoexhibition about the Colombian wildlife.
The colorful bridge to the El Dorado Plaza (I didn't explore the plaza that time).
The entrance to the domestic security control and a creative "suitcase" with an exposition of prohibited articles.
Planespotting From Landside T1 BOG
Near the bridge, connecting the main building of T1 with the plaza, one can find windows, providing apron views of the domestic "n" part of the T1.
ATC tower and a hangar of Fuerza Aerea Colombiana with a military B762 inside, and an AV A320 in the old "juicy" livery, taxiing to the gate.
1991-built PW-powered B752 (N671DN) of Delta, which then had C20_Y179 layout (with recliners in business). B752 - the "Ferrari of the skies" with its excess power - is a perfect narrowbody aircraft for the flights from high-elevation airports like BOG. In 2024 N671DN was phased out and scrapped.
AV A320 (N821AV) in the old "juicy" livery arriving at the gate. In 2022 it was repainted into the "LACSA heritage" special livery. One can also see an AV B788 (N781AV) at the distant domestic gate, probably bound for MDE, from where it would operated a transatlantic flight to MAD.
An apron view with AV A320 being towed and AV A321SL and A320SL taxiing by.
A320 (HK-5222) of now-defunct Viva Colombia (this aircraft joined the Volotea fleet) and 2 LATAM A319s (CC-CPF and CC-CPL), both having the old LAN livery back then. On the latter I flew MDE-SMR a week after (the FR is coming soon!).
Three A319: LA A319 (CC-CPE) in the LATAM livery, LA A319 (CC-CPL) in the old LAN livery and AV A319SL (N726AV), which had "Federación Colombia de Futbol" sticker from June 2016 to January 2019 (let's remind that 2018 was the year of the Mundial in Russia).
LA A319 in the LATAM livery and AV aircrafts - some sporting the old "juicy" livery, some sporting the new one.
LA A319 (CC-CPF) being taxied. One can also see B737 (HP-1525CMP) of Wingo - the another Colombian ULCC, which back then had a fleet of 4 B737s. Since then these B737s were transferred to Copa Airlines and, in turn, CM transferred to Wingo 10 B738s - all but one being older without Sky Interior. I flew Wingo twice in 2024 in Central America: from BLB to SJO and from DAV to BLB.
AV IAE-powered A321SL (N725AV). Before the pandemic AV had 9 2014-2015 built A321SLs (7 IAE-powered plus 2 CFM-powered) and 2 2018-built A21Ns (non-ACF). In the end of my Colombian trip I flew a CFM-powered AV's A321SL from CTG to BOG and it was a surprisingly nice experience (the FR is coming soon!). During the pandemic, when AV had to undergo Chapter 11 restructurization, it phased out all its A21Ns and A321s, which then found new homes.
T1 BOG: Domestic Airside
My flight was departing from the newer domestic pier (built as an extension), which is now called pier D.
Duty-free shop after the security control.
Some eateries on the way to the gates.
A photo-exhibition about Colombian butterflies. The variety of the species is amazing!
A view of the outside part of the domestic pier from the airside. The design is nice.
Due to the large number of the domestic flights some gates in the central part of the pier were very busy. But the pier is modern and spacious and doesn't feel crowded.
The AV lounge is also busy.
The pier is equipped with a number of charging stations, advertising Claro - a prominent Latin American cellphone operator.
A "play station" for children, somewhat reminding 2E/L and 2E/M piers of CDG.
The pier has a number of shops, including a book shop, which is nice to see.
A playground for children.
The gates closer to the far end of the pier D were much more quieter than in its center.
The underlying bus gates in the far end of the pier.
Back to the central part of the pier. Overall, it's apparent that at least the domestic part of T1 BOG is definitely superior than the domestic terminal (obsolete T2) of GRU and than the domestic terminal (aging T1) of SCL and that BOG deserves its title of one of the best airports in Latin America.
My flight was boarding from the bus gates under the central part of pier D. This area was quite busy. On the last photo in this gallery one can see the bus that shuttled the passengers to the plane.
Planespotting from Domestic Airside BOG T1
The domestic pier D has very good spotting possibilites due to the sufficient amount of the accessible unobstructed windows.
A number of AV A320s, parked at the "outer" apron of pier D.
The already seen PW-powered DL B752 (N671DN) is now departing for ATL. It took me a long time to eventually fly a 757: I flew ex-Icelandair B753 on KEF-CPH in September 2023 and then I flew Sunday Airlines B752 on NQZ-ALA in October 2025. Both of them are RR-powered. It seems like I wouldn't be able to fly a PW-powered 757 in my life, because the remaining ones are only in US and Russia, where I cannot go…
A couple of SATENA's aircrafts: AT45 and E170 (HK-4528). The latter was phased out in February 2020 shortly before the pandemic and then scrapped. On the backdrop one can see a number of military aircrafts of Fuerza Aerea Colombiana.
B722 (named "Vulcano") of Fuerza Aerea Colombiana and a couple of small turboprops. I saw this B722 before in Bucaramanga Palonegro airport (BGA) after the CTG-BGA flight on VE AT45.
AV A319 (N691AV) in the old "juicy" livery, which was repainted into the new livery since.
Beechcraft C90GTi King Air (HK-4846) of Aeromas Colombia.
TK A332 (TC-JNB) arriving from ISL. On this very aircraft I flew ISL-BOG + BOG-PTY 10 days before, and it was a very pleasant experience.
AT45 (HK-5070) of EasyFly and AV A320 (N4111AV). HK-5070 joined NyxAir fleet in Estonia since.
AV A318 (N598EL). Back then AV had 10 2004-2005 built "baby Airbuses" from defunct Mexicana. In late 2019 all of them were phased out and scrapped. Now the only possibility to fly an A318 on scheduled passenger flights is AF intra-EU flights from CDG as AF has the world's last 4 A318, which will be phased out soon and replaced by A223s.
Another military B722 (named "Apollo" and not very airworthy) of Fuerza Aerea Colombiana.
A CFM-powered A321SL (N746AV) of Avianca. 11 days later I flew on this very A321 from CTG to BOG.
Another AV A318 (N591EL).
1992-built B734F (HK-5228, now N652EE) of AerCaribe Cargo.
AV A321SL (N746AV) having arrived to the pier D. Now this aircraft is in Condor fleet in all-economy Y220 layout.
N761AV - the youngest and the last of 2 AV A21N's. Now this aircraft is in SalamAir fleet in Oman, but is grounded from February 2025. On the 2nd photo one can also see an AV A332 in the old "juicy" livery. AV back then had 11 A332s, but completely got rid of them in 2023.
AV A320 (N536AV) in Star Alliance livery.
AV A320SL (N748AV).
The Aircraft
My flight was operated by 2006-built AT45 HK-5071. Before joining VE fleet it was previously operated by Flybe Nordic (now Norra) in Finland. In 2020 VE phased out this aircraft, and in 2021 it joined NyxAir fleet in Estonia.
The Cabin
The all-economy cabin consists of 48 seats in 2-2 layout. It looks definitely nicer than the cabin of the older HK-5219, which flew me CTG-BGA instead of Jetstream 41.
The crew seats in the front of the cabin.
The overhead panel with airvents.
The seatpocket content: safety card, inflight magazine and waste bag.
The Flight
The starboard PWC PW127E engine shortly before the start of taxiing.
A view of Pier D with A21N (N761AV).
The firefighting depot of BOG.
The aircrafts of Policia Nacional de Colombia. One can easily spot two DC3s among them. In 2018 there also still were a few passenger DC3s in Colombia, operating flights to the Amazonian selva, but after the fatal crash on 9 March 2019 they were phased out.
An AV B788, undergoing some maintenance.
One of then-active passenger DC3 and unairworthy B707 and B727. Definitely, pre-pandemic BOG was an avgeek paradise!
One more AV A318 (N594EL).
Our shadow while lining up with the runway.
Takeoff thrust.
Overflying Parque Atahualpa. One can clearly see the difference between relatively wealthy condominium near the park and the surrounding poor quarters. Quite a typical contrast for a big Latin American city…
Overflying Hayelos district of Bogota. This is how a "normal" district looks like.
Bogota river, delimiting Bogota city with Cundinamarca department.
Then the clouds hide the ground, and it's time to stretch the legs. An inflight view of the cabin.
The rear door, serving as a stair when opened.
Some inflight service: a lulo juice.
And then the most scenic part of the flight begins: as we getting closer to PEI, the volcanoes of Los Nevados NP appear in sight.
To the left is Nevado del Tolima - a stratovolcano of 5276 MASL, to the right is Nevado del Ruiz - a stratovolcano of 5389 MASL. For comparison, the highest point of Colombia - Pico Cristobal Colon in the north-eastern part of the country - is 5730 MASL.
Nevado del Tolima.
Nevado del Ruiz.
A close-up of the both volcanoes. Their slopes are the zone of paramo - intertropical Alpine ecosystem.
Passing by Los Nevados NP, we're overflying the famous wax palms valleys of Tolima and Quindio departments, but they're hardly visible from the plane.
View during the descent to PEI.
Hernan Ramirez Villegas stadium in Pereira.
Landed in PEI.
Parking near old PEI terminal. The photos of this terminal are now purely nostalgic, as in 2020 the new modern terminal was inaugurated and the old terminal was dismantled.
AV A319SL (N741AV).
Tour De Cockpit
An unplanned surprise - the crew invited me to visit the cockpit even though I didn't ask them! So nice!
The Cabin After The Flight
Cabin view upon disembarkment.
The Aircraft After The Flight
A couple of photos of HK-5071 on the way to the terminal. Thanks for the pleasant flight!
Pereira Matecana International Airport (PEI)
And this is how looked the old now-dismantled PEI terminal back in 2018.
The arrival gallery.
The gates area from the outside.
The luggage claim hall.
Advertisements, calling for investments into Pereira. Apparently they took effect, because now PEI has the new terminal.
The check-in hall.
Check-in desks of the airlines that went into history. ADA Colombia ceased operation in late March 2019, almost a year before the pandemic. Aexpa Colombia ceased operations a year later, in March 2020.
The check-in hall of the old terminal had some beautiful murals about local nature and fauna.
The bus that took me from PEI to Pereira bus station, where I connected to a bus to Salento.
Thank you for your attention and see you in the next FRs!
