Colombia's new President de la Espriella inherits half of air fleet grounded

Incoming President Abelardo de la Espriella received a transition report showing that 310 of the 620 aircraft owned by the Colombian Military and National Police are non‑operational, representing exactly half of the state’s air fleet.

The grounding is attributed to major maintenance needs, repairs, spare‑parts shortages and technical inspection cycles. The shortfall limits capabilities such as troop transport, medical evacuations, anti‑criminal operations, border surveillance, disaster response and humanitarian assistance. Restoring aircraft availability will be a primary challenge for the new Defense Ministry.

The data were provided during the handover from outgoing President Gustavo Petro ahead of de la Espriella’s inauguration on 7 August, highlighting a significant operational weakness the new administration must address.