¿Whaté Cuenca needs to have international flights? We detail the topics tétrack cones, migrationón, fruitáasses and improvements that this airport shouldíto be carried out to be able to have flights abroad directly.
Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca is a thriving city and its potential TuríStico is immensely proportional to being a World Heritage of UNESCO.
Both by surface and by inhabitants, the áMetropolitan area of Cuenca is the tereera in importance of the PAís and it has más 660 thousand people as potential travelers, What makes it a very attractive destination for airlineídenies.
Despite this great potential that at least in NúMeros is interesting, solo 2 aerolíregular neas operate in this city, Tame EP and LATAM Ecuador together they operate 39 weekly frequencies to únow current national destination, Quito.
The Númere passengers have increased and thisñor it has been the best, We will talk about this topic in a PRómaximum delivery.
Previously, AeroGal spaghettién kept regular flights from Quito, But Ceró su operationóN and the route from Guayaquil de Tame, spaghettién dejó to operate.
In the first DíNovember, For a celebrationón más of the Independence of Cuenca, Authorities made the announcement to beíA negotiating with an airlineínew of USA the start of international direct flights.
This is an excellent initiative and news, although for this to happen in the medium or short term, Cuenca airport dutyíto have some additional adjustments and improvements that make it feasible.
DesafíCurrent
- Airport located at 2.532 altitude meters – Autonomous limitía, passengers and cargo.
- short track 1.900 meters long – Autonomous limitía, passengers and cargo.
- Montañas – fruitáasses that hinder the operationón, passengers and cargo.
- Falta de Counters de migrationón.
- Customs area need.
- Do not have a categoryíto international.
improvements
The airport has done several works that have allowed it to maintain its operations safely and the DíA with aeron trendsácurrent uticas.
For instance, In approximation systemsón New satellite and GPS landing procedures have been implemented, which allows M operationsás environment friendly and operations with less visibility. It also countsén with ILS landing system, PAPI and track lights.
A few years agoñthe renewó the terminal, new facilities and boarding rooms were implemented, it startsó Nose aircraft parking that improves operability and waiting times, among others in the áAirport commercial area.
With all these improvements, the airport can continue to grow, But direct international flights areán aún far from being a reality.
Its short and high track, restricts the distance planes can fly directly. under current conditions, The planes will haveíAn to penalize passengers and load máXima that couldíto transport to be able to take off safely and power «go out» from the area mountñdare and get rid of the obságlasses.
To be able to have direct flights like those proposed to the United States, se tenderíto expand the track to allow flights with a greater autonomíA and this requires expropriating nearby land or building the track on streets, for example, Madeira.
Other mandatory improvements are implementationón de migrationóN and Customs for daily flight control, what to seeíA currently limited by spaces Fíairport sicos.
Cuenca airport currently does not have the categoryíto international, which is a process to beía más fácil to make that the previous ones before the Aeron authorityáutica. For now, This airport is considered interfronte úonly.
With all these improvements, International direct flights to the United States couldíbe possible, But feasibility téCNICA AND ECONóMica Determineán your future.
Another alternative, to beíAn international flights with intermediate scale in another city in Ecuador before continuing to the United States or other país, But this reducesíto profitability and raiseíAt the cost of passages.
Airport Project 2060
EST airportá growing and the potential is huge. It is not the first time that there has been talk of potential international flights.
Copa Airlines has shown Interés of flying when conditions allow it and makes someñOs Star perú realizedó A pair of interfrontery flights, but these did not progress. many toñthe atreás, Aviancaó the operationón Bogotá – Quito – Cuenca, but over time they stopped working.
Interferingive flights will beíAn a good start for internationalizationóN of Cuenca as an example, towards Chichayo or Piura.
New Airport
In the long term, a new airport is necessary to meet all the expectations of the city, continue growing and attracting new airlineíneas doméstatic and international.
For it, the Corporación Aeroportuaria de Cuenca has developed a long -term plan with important investments and that will develop secún passenger growth.
2018
- If it comes trueán Studies for rehabilitationótrack number, RESA feasibility, demand for passengers and aeron studiesáutica by an investmentón of $620.000.
2020
- Rehabilitationótrack for track for $10 millions of dóhomes.
2021
- ÁSafety areas at the end of both headers 23 and 05 (RESA) for $20 millions of dóhomes.
2034
- Second Remodelación of the terminal that includes extensionón of the terminal toéreo, apron and aircraft parking area for approximately $26 millions of dóhomes.
2044
- Third. remodelingón of the terminal that includes extensionón of the terminal toéReo y Plataforma.
2045 al 2050
- Aeron feasibilityáutica and meteorol studiesóGicos Nuevo Airport.
2051 al 2055
- Airport feasibility and engineeringías.
2056 al 2062
- Constructionón of the new Cuenca airport for an approximate value of $616 millions of dóhomes.
the future, very good news is coming for Cuenca.
They barely made it to 2100 for the new airport, That's ridiculous
What happened to the sleeves from the old Quito airport that were donated to Cuenca??
Anything, As the Cuenca Airport did not carry out its installation plan, the sleeves remained unused and are in Quito.
interesting note
It seems to me that the performance issue is the most limiting of all, a direct flight to Miami required at least 14 tons of fuel that penalize the payload. The temperature of the airport at hot noon would penalize the performance. The short track is the main barrier to overcome, because logistical issues such as the implementation of migration and customs is a manageable issue since it is physical infrastructure that can be attached to the terminal.
Another very interesting point is the demand, if the passenger flow is constant, it would justify the entire operating cost of the new route or a study of weekly frequencies (not daily) that allows the rotation of teams and of course the contingencies.
Again, in retrospect, the dimensions of the track would be the main factor that generates the limitation to be overcome, Geographically, the airport requires a fairly extensive engineering work in both headers and that entails the analysis of how to improve the existing operational procedures., with a larger runway and terminals, could be a route alternate airport as well.
Since it is not only the issue of profitability but all the security parameters that must be met.
Personally, the issue of a frequent route to Guayaquil is very oriented to connecting passengers only., since the land route through the Cajas is short, buena, It is in good condition and you also have your vehicle at the destination and at a much lower cost.
Unfortunately, The airport is at the top of its capacities due to the runway issue. To the north, the extension would affect the Quinta Chica sector and many industrial complexes, two hundred meters long, for example, would not greatly increase the possibility of increasing 1000 kilos to payload, and to the south is the cemetery and neighborhoods near the Chola Cuencana.
Quoting your text:
«Interfronterizos flights would be a good start for the internationalization of Basin as an example, Towards Chichayo or Piura »
interesting proposal, However, we do not have a constant market such as the USA or Europe where there are resident colonies that would be interested in the new route..
Greetings
Hello Adonis, good point, the issue of profitability is another factor. For more conditions for direct to the USA that there could be, That it is profitable will already be another subject of studies, but at first glance I see it complicated.
Thanks Nicholas very good information. Suddenly it is already defined in which place the meteorological data for the future new airport of Cuenca is beginning to be taken?
I understand they are in it, but they must already have previously defined the prequalified areas.
Very interesting, Nicholas. the question arises, And what about Galapagos?, What issues would prevent flights between Cuenca and the islands?? These are two highly visited destinations and a flight like this could be attractive.
The distance and the short track of Cuenca. To the Galapagos the plane must leave with all the fuel to go and return, since there is no refueling.