What does Latacunga need to have commercial flights again?

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The Cotopaxi International Airport on Latacunga has great potential, but what do you need for it to have commercial flights again?

There are several people who write on social networks about the need to return to having regular commercial flights at the Airport of Latacunga and they wonder why there isn't?

In this new installment we are going to review the reasons and what must change in this airport so that it is once again considered by the airlines.

Cotopaxi International Airport – Latacunga

Let's first briefly review the history of this airport. The 21 July 2011 the expansion and new terminal works were inaugurated with an investment of $26 millions, moment when it was thought that aerial history in Latacunga would take a turn of 360 degrees.

Historically, This airport has not been one of the busiest air terminals, but it has been key in complex operational situations in Quito making its alternate airport (currently it is not, despite the fact that it is known as Cotopaxi Alternative Airport).

The potential is clear, a large landing strip 3.641 meters long, almost unused terminal with annual capacity of 2 million passengers and an enviable climate.

Despite these clear differences, its last regular passenger flights were made Tame EP the 12 april 2017 and the last regular cargo flight was made by Aercaribe the 29 May 2019. If we count charter operation, The last operation was 5 June 2021 with Aeroregional.

Many more details of the Airport can be found here:

Cotopaxi International Airport: with great potential to grow

Then, what does it take for me to have flights again?

Let's answer the key question of this post. Once we reviewed its basic characteristics and understood that it has interesting potential, why nobody flies in Latacunga?

There are points to be analyzed:

• Airlines fly where there is a market, bone where they will have an interesting flow of passengers that make their operation profitable.
• The airport must meet all the technical needs and capabilities to receive flights.
• The city must have all the facilities to receive travelers.

Having said that, we are going to expand on each of these three very important points:

Airlines

• First of all, an airline needs to see, analyze and study the possibility of flying to this airport, which in terms of prices is much more competitive than other international airports in the country such as Guayaquil O Quito, even at this airport passengers would pay a Reduced EcoDelta.
• For this, the airline will analyze facilities, costs and market.
  • The costs are very good and would generate cheaper tickets.
  • Market is a touchy subject, in Quito there is a great focus of travelers, would these move 1 hour and 30 minutes to there? would depend on the destination, cost and how to get there.
    • The central highlands have a large flow of travelers, especially migrants., what makes it very interesting, so it would depend on the destination that is sought to open.
  • facilities, This is the most complex point at the moment and I explain it below.

facilities

• At the moment, This airport does not have service fueling Jet A1.
  • Essential for any airline. Is refueling first or the airline that needs it first??
• Customs and immigration. The airport has these capabilities, but they must be activated, improved and implement greater controls with X-rays and scanners.
• Ground and handling equipment. At the moment there is no ground service available, Therefore, a company that enters the airport is required to offer these services..
• luggage bands. The airport has only one, what will happen when more flights arrive?
• restaurants, pharmacy, stores, etc. This will be activated according to the demand that justifies an investment.

Ciudad

• Ground transportation from Quito directly to the airport or implementation of new lines for travelers from nearby cities.
• Hotels. Latacunga has a hotel offer, but should be expanded based on demand, what if 3 airplanes 150 passengers stay on the ground at the same time? Are there hotels that can accommodate all those passengers?

Can Latacunga have flights again?

it's possible, but there are many things that will have to happen over time and that are dependent on each other. as we see, the Airport must go through several transformations and recover its operability to be attractive for an airline, where the price factor is not the only determining factor.

First the airline and from there we activate the handling and fuel? This will be the question that the authorities interested in seeing this airport take off will have to solve, as soon as possible for the good of the city and its economic development that would come from the arrival of flights.

Let's not forget that a plane landing generates direct and indirect employment, moves the local economy to a traveler to buy a bottle of water and generates hotel occupancy, Therefore, it is urgent that action be taken as soon as possible..

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