First U.S. Government Deportation Flight to Colombia Takes Off
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The first U.S. government-chartered deportation flight to Colombia took place on Wednesday, January 29. The operation followed an agreement between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and U.S. President Donald Trump, resolving a dispute over the treatment of deported migrants.
Petro had previously criticized the conditions in which Colombians were deported, particularly the use of handcuffs during flights. As a result, Colombian authorities blocked the arrival of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which had already departed from California for Bogotá carrying the first group of deportees since Trump took office, according to reports from Aeroin.
Following the agreement, deportation flights were temporarily operated by the Colombian Air Force using Boeing 737-700 aircraft to bring Colombian nationals back from the U.S.
Now, regular operations have resumed, with the U.S. airline GlobalX once again handling deportation flights under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Flight Details and Use of Restraints
The aircraft used for this latest deportation flight, registered as N570TA, is an Airbus A321ceo previously operated by Avianca. It is configured for 200 passengers, with 12 seats in Business Class and 188 in Economy. The plane departed from Harlingen, Texas, and arrived in Bogotá on January 29.
It is unclear whether the deported Colombians on this flight were handcuffed or otherwise restrained, though past practices suggest they likely were.
Previous Deportation Flight to Brazil
The same aircraft was previously used for a deportation flight to Brazil on December 7, 2024, landing at Confins International Airport in Minas Gerais after a stopover in Manaus.
That flight followed the same route as a previous Airbus A320 deportation flight, which encountered issues in the Amazon region. During that incident, restrained migrants forced open an emergency exit while on the ground.
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