Flights to the Galapagos Islands – LATAM Ecuador

We now continue with the second installment about flights to the Gal IslandsáLATAM Ecuador payments. As part of a special composed of 3 deliveries, we will talk about the 3 aerolíairlines that operate regular flights to the Archipiélake regularly from mainland Ecuador.

First delivery: Avianca Ecuador.
Third installment: Tame EP.

As we reviewed in the part 1 of this special, flights to Galápaid in son comúnes and cannot be started outside of Ecuador, since health and immigration controls are mandatory. For instance, every time an avión is going to take off towards the Islands, roc cabin crewía special disinfectant spray in the overhead compartments, front and rear galleries and in the hallways of the avión, ensuring theí queúin bedógene or agent foreign to the islands could reach such a delicate ecosystem.

History of flights to Galápaid

Flights to Galápayments have a relatively short history. These started on 6 February 1936, at that time with the transport of mail and cargo that was carried out by seaplane from Guayaquil, Salinas or Manta, since it does not existíto a runway enabled for land landings. For March 1942, facing a potential war in the Pacífico and in order to defend the Panama Canalá, United States builtó 3 landing strips on the islands, being the main one in Baltra, where a Consolidated B-24 Liberator was the first aircraftón on landing in Galápaid.

Subsequently, the 3 of January of 1959 regular commercial flights arrived, at that time with the missing Aerolínea LIA -Línea International Aérea, which operatedó in Ecuador since 1958 until 1961 based in Quito flying with Curtiss C-46 aircraft and even arrivedó to be named as aerolíflag of Ecuador and the main one during its brief history. The 6 June 1963 operations were consolidated with Tame flights on C-47 Skytrain aircraft.

Since that time, flights to Galápayments have been maintained uninterrupted and in the face of growing tourist demandístic, flights also startedén a San Cristóbal and the interés of the aerosolsídesire to fly to such an attractive destination grew and becameó in a desired destination for large airline groupsílines of the regionón. Given that interestés, aerolíCompanies such as Copa Airlines or Taca sought and studied creation projects.ónumber of subsidiaries in Ecuador, all in order to feed their networks with tourists seeking to reach the islands.

In this context, finally and with the opening of Sunday flightséLAN Ecuador 6 april 2009, the airíEcuadorian line that until then concentrated on international routes, se transformó in the third regular operator to the Islands, weighs at one oposicióinitial n of AeroGal and Tame.

LATAM Ecuador (formerly LAN Ecuador) second delivery:

So that LAN Ecuador has been able to start flying to Galápaid, The authorities made it a conditionón to fulfill, that it operates its flights in cóI say shared with any aerosolíecuadorian nea. back then, AeroGal and Tame operated these 2 en contra de su operación, I hope you don't haveía permiso de operación a Galápaid (subsequently operatedó and voló inter-islands) and Icarus there úonly one that was shownó always in favor since his arrival to the país.

Así LAN Ecuador and Icaro start their operationón of cóI say shared, although LAN willíhas proposed this agreement to all airlinesílines of the élittle, but there will be noneíhas agreed to give up its frequencies and sales opportunity of the second destination más profitable on sun flightséstics of the countryís (the first is Quito – Guayaquil). The agreement with the airlineínea Icaro Air operó until it stopsó operations and its dissolution took placeón in June 2011 by the Superintendency of Compañías. After the closure of Icaro, LAN Ecuador maintained its assigned frequencies and was the fastest growing operator in núgroup of passengers until at least 2014.

Itineraries and flights from LATAM Ecuador to Galápaid

Like the others 2 aerolídenies, LATAM Ecuador operates Baltra and San Cristóbal with the following times and frequencies:

Quito – Baltra – Quito direct

these flights, the airínea does not operate them on a daily basis, but yesí They usually operate up to weekly flights depending onún high season. The flights are operated with Airbus A319 aircraft.

Guayaquil – Baltra – Guayaquil

the airínea operates until 2 daily flights between Guayaquil and Baltra, adding a total of 22 round trip weekly frequencies (has authorized 28 flights in total). These flights are operated with Airbus A319 aircraft.

Quito – Guayaquil – San Cristóbal

Like the rest of Aerolílines that fly to San Cristóbal, The flights begin in Quito with an intermediate stopover in Guayaquil to refuel and board.ás passengers:

The 4 weekly air frequenciesínea are generated in Quito and escalate in Guayaquil, operated with Airbus A319 aircraft with capacity for 144 passengers.

With such an interesting market, that move más de 200 thousand passengers perñO, Recently, metó of the next airline orderínea before the CNAC – National Aviation Councilón Civilian of Ecuador, where LATAM seeks an increase in núgroup of flights to Galápaid:

Aerolínea @LATAM_ECU request to increase 4 weekly flights route #Baltra and 3 flights to #SanCristobal, #Galápaid from #Quito y/o #Guayaquil ✈️ pic.twitter.com/RHV20GbwlI

— Nicolás Larenas ✈️ (@n_larenas) October 4, 2017

AEROLANE Líneas AéNational Areas of Ecuador S.A (LATAM Airlines), seeks to increase 4 weekly flights to Baltra, what to completeían 18 approved weekly flights and 3 additional to San Crisóbal, with which to completeíThe daily flight from Quito and/or Guayaquil.

For añthe calendar, since July 2018, LATAM Ecuador has received 3 weekly frequencies between Guayaquil and Baltra, that were previously in the operating permitón of Tame. This reassignmentón of frequencies, to allowá LATAM operates 2 daily flights between Guayaquil and Baltra, más the 3 direct flights from Quito, adding up 17 weekly to Baltra:

La operationón weekly from LATAM Ecuador to Galápayments accounts for a total of 21 weekly flights or 42 round trip, which positions it in second place currently in núfrequency group, that clearly, may vary dependingún season.

Stadiumístatic

for himñO 2015, aún LAN Ecuador, roommateó in second place in participationón of market share on flights to Galápayments with 36%, just 1 point behindás of Avianca Ecuador.

In that sameñO 2015, LAN logró the greatest growth in the núnumber of passengers transported, managing to grow a 11% máI know that he 2014, what it representsó to the airínea más de 7.839 tourists who traveled to and from the Islands. for himñO 2016, the outlook for 3 operated was not favorable due to economic factorsólocal monkeys, as wellén the earthquake and the economic conditionsóworld micas, where the competition turnsística of the paíyour neighbors, with marked and strong strategies, spaghettién had an impact on these núgroupers during the 2016.