IATA has stated that migration processes could be affected by the Tortuga plan this Friday.

This Friday, May 9, Colombian Immigration officials will launch a rapid transit operation that will include several staging points at the country's international airports.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has advised travelers to arrive at airports several hours in advance, as travel can cause delays in services such as "security checks, immigration processes, check-in, baggage inspection, and boarding."

In addition, in its statement, the agency urged passengers to check flight status in advance and invited them to monitor official airline channels for the latest updates.

Travelers were also asked to register for their migration through the Biomig platform.

In a statement, the Colombian Immigration workers' union, Omesco, suggested that travelers "arrive early at the airports due to the possibility of delays in immigration control , both upon departure and arrival, at all international airports in Colombia."

On the afternoon of Thursday, May 8, Colombian Immigration indicated that all travelers, both domestic and international, must "arrive four hours in advance , in accordance with the recommendations of airlines and airport administrators."

Likewise, in the statement, they expressed that they will take measures to "avoid setbacks and contribute to the smooth development of immigration procedures ."

IATA also issued a statement on the matter, emphasizing the importance of working together among operators, airlines, authorities, and other stakeholders to guarantee user rights and a smooth flow of air traffic.

The call, announced by the entity's workers' union, denounces the national government's failure to comply with the labor agreements they had reached months ago.

The agreement, which was signed on December 5 of last year, included a $28 billion peso bonus for 1,600 Colombian Migration public employees and a redesign of the entity's organization.

Omesco argues that the bonus has not been approved since the signing and is still under review . The workers indicated they are open to dialogue and await the publication and approval of their demands.

Yeison Mesa, president of Omesco, stated that the union itself has offered guarantees that the agreements will be fulfilled. " We deeply regret that the government has failed to fulfill this commitment. We suspended the protests in December in the hope that the agreement would be fulfilled," they said in a statement.

"We've done absolutely everything necessary to make this happen, but we realize that time passes and the people leading the processes seem to have no intention of moving them forward and doing things with the diligence we require. With that in mind, we decided that we were going to resume the actions we had begun in December ," he told CityTV .

Mesa also outlined the phases of the Tortoise Plan. As a form of protest, officials plastered some airports, checkpoints, and facilitation centers in the first few days to express their opinions.

He then indicated that the second step will consist of "informing the public and the government itself of our displeasure at the lack of commitment. Finally, we will carry out the sealing activities much later than usual, so we ask people who intend to travel abroad to arrive at the country's various airports well in advance to avoid disrupting their itineraries."

In the interview, the union president invited the public to "understand us." It is estimated that the emergency plan could be extended over the next few days depending on the urgency and dialogue established between the workers and the national government.

LATEST NEWS EDITORIAL

Maria Juliana Cruz Marroquin