On 3 July 2026, World2Fly — the airline of the World2Meet Group — took off from Madrid-Barajas bound for Cartagena's Rafael Núñez International Airport, inaugurating the first regular direct flight between Spain and La Heroica. An Airbus A350 with capacity for 432 passengers, Business and Economy classes, and a weekly Friday frequency: a new era of connectivity between Europe and the Colombian Caribbean has begun.
The World2Fly route: what you need to know
The service operates weekly, departing Madrid at 14:55 and arriving in Cartagena at 17:45. The return flight leaves Cartagena at 19:45 and lands in Madrid at 11:55 the following day. The Airbus A350 is one of the most modern and fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft on the market, ensuring comfort and sustainability across an approximately 10-hour flight. Tickets are available on the World2Fly website and through travel agencies, initially for July and August 2026, with additional dates to follow.
The route was made possible through coordinated work between the Cartagena City Council, the Secretariat of Tourism, Corpoturismo, ProColombia, the Cartagena Airport International Operator (OINAC), and World2Fly — a public-private collaboration that reflects the city's strategic commitment to European connectivity.
"With the launch of our new direct route between Madrid and Cartagena de Indias, we are strengthening our commitment to Colombia, complementing the Cali route we launched last year, and consolidating our dedication to connectivity between Spain and Latin America."
— Daniel Buil, Commercial Director of World2Fly
A growing European network: KLM, Plus Ultra, and now World2Fly
World2Fly's arrival builds on a European connectivity story that Cartagena has been writing for years. KLM has long operated regular flights from Amsterdam, connecting Cartagena to one of Europe's primary hubs and to the Dutch, Belgian, and northern European markets. In November 2024, Plus Ultra launched the first direct charter flight from Poland to Cartagena — a Boeing Dreamliner carrying 299 passengers — operating weekly from November through March, with projections of 6,000 passengers per season and minimum stays of 7 nights.
With these three operations, Cartagena now has direct connectivity from Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland — three European markets with distinct and complementary traveller profiles. The Spanish market already accounts for 9% of the city's total visitors, with 19.3% growth versus 2024, according to Corpoturismo. World2Fly's new route complements the 4 weekly frequencies Plus Ultra already operated on the Spain–Cartagena corridor.
What this means for European MICE planners
For years, the single biggest obstacle to routing European MICE groups through Cartagena was the mandatory Bogotá connection. A transatlantic flight followed by a domestic transfer added four to six hours to an already long journey. With World2Fly's direct service, a European delegate can depart Madrid in the afternoon and arrive in Cartagena at 17:45 — ready to check in and attend a welcome dinner the same day, without the exhaustion of a domestic transfer.
Cartagena today has 21 international connections and Rafael Núñez Airport surpassed 7.7 million passengers in 2025. The combination of expanding airport infrastructure, growing European airlift, and a rapidly maturing luxury hotel market — anchored by the Four Seasons opening — makes Cartagena the strongest case in the Caribbean for European incentive travel buyers.
What planners should do now
The window to secure preferred hotel rates and venue availability in Cartagena for 2027 programs is open now, but it will not remain open for long. The combination of the Four Seasons opening, the World2Fly direct route, and growing Spanish market demand will drive significant pressure on availability in the second half of 2026.
Destinexpo recommends that European planners with 2027 programs in the 50–500 delegate range begin the RFP process immediately. We can provide preliminary budgets, venue options, and hotel block proposals within 24–72 hours of receiving a brief.
