Cotopaxi International Airport: with great potential to grow

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Located at the foot of the highest active volcano in the world, Cotopaxi, is one of the most important airports in Ecuador, which with first-class facilities seeks to take off and become an important alternative for airlines in the country and the region, We are talking about the Cotopaxi International Airport or also called Alternative.

History

Built in the 60s, initially as a Military Base, Latacunga Airport was transformed over the years into an attractive terminal, which for some years was the alternate airport to Quito when events from political to natural events took place in the capital of Ecuador, as it was ash fall from the over 6 volcanoes surrounding these two airports, where the most representative case of this alternative, it happened when in june 1.999 the Guagua Pichincha volcano, that in its skirts the city of Quito is located, erupted after years of rest, covering the city with at least 3 centimeters of ash in some sectors, which forced the immediate evacuation of all the planes of Mariscal Sucre (old airport), moving most of its operations to Latacunga, where more than 40 daily operations of airlines such as KLM, American Airlines, aerosucre, Tame, Hour, Aerogal, Icaro and other existing airlines at that time. On that occasion, it was more than demonstrated that the airport runway and apron are able to receive hundreds of flights without setbacks or delays..

Information about the beginnings of the construction of this airport are born at the height of the NASA Space Program, where this Agency collaborated in the construction of large tracks in strategic places in the world, so that in an eventual emergency or special need, their shuttles could land on these runways, that is why the Latacunga runway would have been made with North American technical specifications, both in his position, resistance as in its length.

To the shadow of Quito, This terminal has sought to grow and position itself as an important alternative for airlines that see Mariscal Sucre as a potentially congested airport or even with comparatively higher costs..

That is why in February 2.009, The Government began repowering work on the airport for more than USD 26 millions, which included the complete construction of a new terminal with 2 sleeves of passengers for boarding and disembarkation with waiting rooms with capacity for 1200 daily passengers, resurfacing of the 3.641 meters long track, which is the second largest in the country, with state-of-the-art technology and new features to ensure its durability over time, high resistance concrete was implemented in the 15 aircraft parking points, hangars were repowered and a new cold room terminal was created for cargo management with 3.600 square meter, where roses are the main product exported from Latacunga with more than 30 thousand tons per year.

Once these works, which took a little more than 2 years, the 21 July 2011 the new terminal was officially inaugurated, repowered runway and platforms, a flight of the now almost defunct Saereo with an Embraer 120 on the Guayaquil - Latacunga route was in charge of this event. After this inauguration, the expectations of all the productive sectors of the central area of ​​the country grew and new opportunities were seen to boost the local economy. New flights were opened by Centurion Cargo and the flights of the airline that has operated at this airport for the longest uninterrupted time were maintained., Cargolux (Luxembourg) and Cargo B flights resumed (Belgium), that in the time of modernization of Latacunga, they operated in Quito for a while.

Present

With the arrival of the 3 ATR42-500 from state-owned Tame EP at the end of 2011, new flights were opened between Guayaquil and Latacunga, with extension to Coca, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which eventually ended up replacing Saereo's initial operation between the most populated city and the center of the country. With expectations growing and passenger traffic in the same way, several airlines were interested in operating at the airport, being able to know the intention to operate in Cotopaxi at that time by LAN Cargo, Avianca Cargo and there were even strong rumors about American Airlines and even Viva Colombia, all wanted to take advantage of lower comparative costs in a 70% to operate in other airports in Ecuador.

But as it happened all over the world, the economic recession and reduction in the price of oil brought a decrease in imports, exports and a significant drop in the flow of passengers from 5 weekly flights that Tame EP came to operate between Guayaquil, Latacunga and Coca (oil capital of Ecuador) and the departure of the vast majority of international freighters was also seen.

But, Latacunga has an advantage over other airports in the country, apart from lower operating costs, It also has a JET A1 fuel subsidy, which is exclusive for airports managed by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, operator of this terminal, which has made it possible to offer current airlines and others that have operated over time, even lower costs.

In addition to regular flights, they arrive at this airport on average 2 aircraft bimonthly for maintenance. At the DIAF facilities – Directorate of Aeronautical Industry of the Ecuadorian Air Force Hangar 1, Various types of aircraft maintenance are performed, from check B to C, of various airlines in the region and even the world. This center is certified to provide services to Boeing-type aircraft 727, Boeing 737 from -100 until -500 and even the great DC-10 years ago. For these facilities, the only ones in Ecuador certified by the FAA, DGAC Ecuador, INAC Venezuela, DGAC Chile and DGAC Peru, Hundreds of planes from a wide variety of airlines have passed through, as far away as vietnam. Equally, next to this center is another hangar attached to the DIAF, but where exclusive maintenance is carried out on all Air Force aircraft and in this important repowering work has been carried out on the Hercules C-130 and L-100 fleet and even in its time on the legendary Mirage F1.

Thanks to the facilities of the Latacunga Airport, maintenance and painting work is carried out in less time than in other centers

specialized in the region, allowing to reduce costs and times of aircraft launching, thanks to the fact that this airport is located in a privileged climate zone, with 98% of operability and a decongested airspace to carry out test and verification flights.

Latacunga was the base of operations for LAC – Cuencana Air Line for more than 2 years, which mainly carried out charter flights to Coca and Nueva Loja for oil companies plus tourist charter flights to the Caribbean and other destinations with its CRJ-200 HC-CMY. As could be known, the airline would be planning its return, where Latacunga would again be his base of operations, this time for regular passenger flights with potentially Dash equipment 8.

The Alternativo Cotopaxi also witnessed the takeoff attempt of Suramericana de Aviación, with a Boeing 737-500 HC-COP, but the project did not prosper and this same aircraft operated for a time for LAC.

Technical data

 

Latacunga Airport
Name	Cotopaxi International Airport or Cotopaxi Alternative Airport
IATA code	LTX
ICAO code	SOLD
Clue	1 asphalt x 3641 meters
Elevation	9207 pies
Passenger capacity per year	2.4+ millions
daily operations	3+
load capacity	10.000+ tons per year
Airlines that operate	1 international
terminal area	3641 m2

• Maximum passenger capacity that the airport could handle annually.

The national passenger terminal has capacity 200 seating, taking into account an average number of aircraft for 100 passengers with lapses of two hours that require for the operation we are talking about 1200 daily and annual passengers: 438.000 passengers.

The international passenger terminal has capacity 450 Asia

 

flow, taking into account an average number of aircraft for 100 passengers with lapses of two hours that require for the operation we are talking about 5400 daily and annual passengers: 1´971,000 passengers.

 

• Maximum platform capacity dependent on aircraft type and category.

The platform has 10 pits in normal position and 10 A, so they would enter 10 narrow cabin aircraft. The platform can also encompass alternated i.e. 5-6 narrow cabin aircraft 2-3 wide cabin freighters, this is because every widebody freighter encompasses 2 and up to three pits.

Destinations and airlines

After this complex panorama explained in the News section, Latacunga maintained until the 12 April of 2017, 2 weekly flights from Guayaquil by Tame and until the last week of June, 4 Cargolux weekly flights, which in their "dairy" flights as they are known, It arrived at this airport generally from Brazil and Mexico to later continue filling its cargo holds in Bogotá prior to its return crossing to Europe.. From the first week of July, Cargolux started regular operations in Quito instead of Latacunga.

Hoy #Tame makes its last flight between #Guayaquil and #Latacunga on #ATR42. Route is suspended until further notice. Opera 1 weekly flight ✈️ pic.twitter.com/e7OXwNWGQR

— Nicholas Larenas ✈️ (@n_larenas) April 12, 2017

The airport demonstrated its ability to receive flights with a large passenger capacity, when the 6 from December to 2013, an Air Namibia Airbus A340-300 landed in Latacunga with full capacity, bringing to Ecuador more than 300 young people for a world meeting held in the country.

Apart from regular flights that may occur, the main user is the Ecuadorian Air Force, the one with the closure of the Old Quito Airport and the not yet finished new military platform at the airport of the capital, opted to move all its operations from the Transportation Wing to Latacunga, having daily more than 3 flights and especially on Fridays, where these rise to more than 6, mobilizing your Boeing fleet 737, House 295M, Twin Otter and Beechcraft to destinations like the Taura Base, Guayaquil, Salinas, Sour Lake, Manta and even Quito, where they move, to and from, mainly personnel from the Armed Forces and their families in the so-called "logistics flights".

Frequencies that were operated

Airline	Destiny	weekly frequencies (just ida)
Tame	Guayaquil	2
Cargolux	Bogota	4

Projection

The great potential of Latacunga lies in the load. Thanks to a new policy promoted by the Ministry of Transport, Latacunga Airport will have the opportunity to capture about a 10% of cargo flights arriving in Quito, especially those that do not operate regularly and do so only as a charter in peak seasons of flower loads. This new proposal promotes the use of airports managed by the Civil Aviation Directorate with low costs for operating in them, versus a higher value for concessioned airports, this will promote first, the change of cargo charter operations for regular ones and second, the use of state airports that have potential for exports, maintaining a charter-type operation, without the need to operate on a regular basis as explained in more detail HERE.

The good news for Latacunga, within this delicate framework of not having regular flights, will change at the end of july, when cargo operations in Colombia, AeroCaribe starts regular flights to Latacunga from Bogotá with extension from Cotopaxi to Lima, which will mark a new milestone for the Airport that awaits with this, accommodate potential new airlines and destinations.

Regarding passenger flights, the soon return of LAC is expected – Líneas Aéreas Cuencanas, which would resume its operation on this occasion on a regular basis with Bombardier Havilland Canada Dash turboprop aircraft 8 DHC-8 and additionally it has been known that Sudamericana de Aviación would try again to start flights, this time with CRJ-200 aircraft, remembering that his base in his first attempt was Latacunga.

For the year 2018 Tame is expected to resume 5 weekly flights between Guayaquil and Latacunga, once the airline overcomes some operational problems in terms of fleet availability and also the country's economic outlook is more favorable for the air market, especially with the new modality of subsidy auction for Jet A1 air fuel on social routes and where there is only one competitor.

Equally, The airport has had conversations with some foreign airlines from the Caribbean and North America to present the advantages of the airport and analyze a potential start of operations.

Finally, in the short term, the new school of pilots IcalPilots S.A would start pilot training operations in Latacunga, thus being the first school to form a base at the Cotopaxi Province Airport.

The Airport has great potential and opportunities for growth and improvement of the infrastructure are possible, such as the creation of a taxiway that connects the platform with the north end 19 From the airport, which would allow it to be even more efficient in its operation in the face of a potential growth in traffic and flights. We thank the Director of the Civil Aviation Directorate DGAC and all the airport personnel for their openness and full collaboration in the preparation of this report..

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