✈️ Exclusive Benefits for Readers

Verified codes to save on your next trip.

The day 22 In January, it was learned through a publication by the Spanish Ministry of Development that an airline company established in Spain wants to fly to Ecuador and has requested to be assigned frequencies for this market..

Currently flights between Spain and Ecuador are covered by Iberia direct from Madrid to Quito, from Air Europa to Quito and Guayaquil and also LATAM Airlines Ecuador flights from Guayaquil to Madrid, but the market is apparently ready for more supply.

Potential airlines that would fly to Ecuador

Plus Ultra Airlines

IATA PU code – ICAO PUE, is a Spanish airline founded in the year 2011 by former directors of the defunct Air Madrid and its base of operations is at the Madrid Barajas Airport.

Its fleet currently consists of 3 Airbus A340-300 aircraft with capacity for 303 passengers with whom it operates today exclusively to destinations in South America such as the Jorge Chavez International Airports in Lima and the Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez Airports in Santiago de Chile.

The airline offers its aircraft leasing service to third-party airlines and it is known that it intends to continue growing in the region., so Ecuador would potentially be an attractive destination for the airline.

Wamos Air

IATA EB code – ICAO PLM, is a Spanish airline whose previous name was Pullmantur Air. Founded in the year 2003 One of its investors is the Royal Caribbean group and its base of operations is located at the Madrid Barajas Airport..

Today its fleet is made up of 9 planes, of which 6 son Boeing 747-400 and 3 They are Airbus A340-200 models. with these planes, the airline flies to 5 international destinations and others 14 destinations under charter or seasonal modality. Among these mainly vacation destinations is Cancun., Guatemala, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo and Varadero.

This airline does not yet operate any destination in South America, so our country could be for the start of its operations. further, The airline also offers the rental service of its aircraft under wet lease to other airlines..

Norwegian Air International

Norwegian Air Shuttle is Europe's third largest low-cost airline and has 2 operating subdivisions. The International division, with which the group has created several HUBs in other countries, which recently included Argentina, and the Long Haul division, in charge of long-distance flights exclusively..

Within this growth, The company has been established as an airline in Spain, which has allowed it to open 2 Flight HUBs, one from Madrid for medium-range flights and another from Barcelona for long-haul flights with its Dreamliner aircraft from which, for example, it already flies to destinations in the United States..

The group to which these belong 2 airlines has a fleet of 145 airplanes made up of 117 boeing aircraft 737-800, 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 22 Boeing 787 Version Dreamliner -8 and -9 with whom it operates at more than 87 destinations in the world.

The airline has operational bases in Alicante, Barcelona, Conhagen, Gatwick, Madrid, Malaga, Roma, Tenerife and others.

Your first destination in South America will be Buenos Aires, where it will fly from London and with which it begins its expansion in the region. Within this framework and being formed in Spain, The possibility opens up that this airline is also the one that is potentially requesting to operate to Ecuador..

LEVEL

IATA IB code – ICAO IBE, It is a Spanish low-cost airline, the newest on the market and began operations on 1 of June 2017. Belonging to the IAG group and operated by Iberia as a new strategy to enter the long-haul market from Spain to America.

With HUB in Barcelona El Prat, the airline flies to 10 destinations in America with a fleet made up of 2 Airbus A330-200 aircraft and this year it hopes to open a new HUB in Paris with the operation of Boeing aircraft 757 and 767 from sister airline OpenSkies part of IAG.

Among its destinations, the company already flies to Buenos Aires and hopes to continue expanding its low-cost services to other destinations in the region and of course, Ecuador could be one of them, but it would have a brake on the operation since it would compete directly with its mother airline Iberia. Taking into account the size of the Ecuadorian market, 2 airlines belonging to the same group would be an unlikely scenario.

Evelop

IATA code E9 – ICAO EVE, small Spanish airline belonging to the Barceló Viajes group, was founded in the year 2013 to operate tourist flights to vacation destinations mainly.

With main flight base in Madrid, currently operates to destinations such as Havana, Mauricio, Punta Cana and Cancún with a fleet made up of 3 aircraft, one of the Airbus A320 model and two of the Airbus A330-300 model.

The company has not flown to Latin America and its type of operation is different, but Ecuador being an attractive tourist destination, could be interesting, just as it will Condor Airlines flying to Quito.

Frequency assignment request

On the order of an airline not yet specified, but if it is indicated that this company is established in Spain, is detailed:

First.- The bilateral application framework between Spain and Ecuador on air transport establishes a capacity limitation of twenty-one (21) weekly frequencies for passenger transport, mail and load, from points in Spain via Caribbean Islands, Colombia and Venezuela, to Quito and/or Guayaquil and points beyond in Peru, Bolivia and Chile and VV.
The designated airline companies will be able to market Quito and Guayaquil, as well as exercising stop rights with a stay of 24 hours or more at one of the points.

It is indicated that between Spain and Ecuador within the bilateral agreement there is a limitation of 21 maximum weekly frequencies, without counting those assigned to Ecuadorian airlines to Spain. further, It is detailed that airlines established in Spain will be able to transport passengers, mail and cargo from Spain with the indicated intermediate stops to Ecuador and from Ecuador to the indicated countries and return.

Second.- Currently, the following traffic rights for this market have already been assigned::
• Cinco (5) weekly frequencies to Air Europa
• Seven (7) weekly frequencies to Iberia

They are currently only in use 12 of the 21 maximum frequencies, where Air Europa is assigned 5 and Iberia 7 weekly, although the latter only uses 6.

First.- Initiate ex officio procedure for assigning traffic rights in the Spanish and Ecuadorian air market.
1. Available traffic rights
Nine (9) weekly frequencies for passenger transport, mail and load, from points in Spain via Caribbean Islands, Colombia and Venezuela, to Quito and/or Guayaquil and points beyond in Peru, Bolivia and Chile and VV.

The frequencies to be assigned will be 9 and other companies may also apply for this assignment procedure as long as they meet the requirements provided by Spain., Therefore, more than one airline could be assigned traffic rights to Ecuador and it does not mean that one airline will be able to obtain the 9 available frequencies, but based on a formula, they will be distributed according to the score that the project obtains.

It should be noted that in this procedure, The applicant airline could be left without frequencies assigned by other applicants that achieve better scores.

We will wait a few weeks or months to finally know which airline requested this assignment and if it was one of those mentioned in this publication..

We will also be attentive to the possibility that the route is Barcelona – Ecuador, in order to diversify the destination options to and from Ecuador, that currently with Spain are focused on Madrid, as well as the market and options for passengers.

✈️ Exclusive Benefits for Readers

Search here for hotels ALL over the world at the best price.