Abstract
Following the global and regional trend, Colombia liberalized the air transport sector at the beginning of the 1990s. This measure unleashed an uninterrupted (until now) set of public policies for the sector, accompanied by several reforms at the institutional level, all in the belief that the Colombian state considers air transport an essential public service that contributes to national economic development. This work uses the case study method to present and analyze the impact of public policies on the development and evolution of the air transport sector in Colombia. The analysis focuses on the approach of the Colombian authorities in the design and implementation of public policies, and the evaluation of the development and growth of the air transport sector and its direct influence on other related industries and socio-economic indicators. The main results of the implemented policies are: high and continued growth of air traffic, mainly at the domestic level, which consolidated and strengthened connectivity and territorial cohesion; contribution to national wealth; generation of employment; and support to closely related industries.
Keywords:
air transport; public policy; liberalization; airport; Colombia