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Today we review the 10 years of the present Quito International Airport, that after his departure from the capital, its new location in Tababela boosted connectivity and growth.
The New International Airport Marshal Sucre of Quito was inaugurated on 20 February 2013, and recently celebrated its tenth anniversary of operations in 2023. This airport replaced the old Quito airport, which was located in the center of the city and had many limitations due to its location.
10 years of the new airport
To understand where we are today, need to understand the history of Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport and how it all started with an airfield.
The old Mariscal Sucre airport with its ICAO code: FOLLOWING THERE IT IS: UIO entered service in approximately 1929 no very exact data, but the aeronautical historian Guido Chavez told us that in the middle of the years 20, Quito previously had two airfields, that were nothing more than land or grass land with minimal facilities at the service of the city.
The first runway opened with the arrival of the Quito plane 1, a SPAD 23 brought to the country in a purely private effort, this first airfield was located in La Alameda park, near the current Government Palace, that in a short time was in the middle of the city (how did it happen afterwards). Subsequently, The flatter spaces to the north of the then Hacienda La Carolina were used, but the only plane that operated from this aerodrome was the Ecuador I on its arrival flight after the Theodoro Gildreth Raid, Today we can see the DC-6 plane that belonged to the FAE in said park.
The aeronautical boom in the city finally occurred thanks to the North American airline Panagra, which landed to operate within Ecuador on 1929. A larger space was sought for its operation., giving birth to Mariscal Sucre, now Bicentennial Park. At that time, this space was called the Quito Aviation Field., operating regular flights especially with the company's DC-2 aircraft, and later the DC-3s in dirt or grass conditions depending on the season and varying climate of the city.
This is just an extra, but more information and the complete airport history of Quito you can know it in this extensive post:
the rest of the story, you already know. An old Mariscal Sucre that was the scene of connectivity, new airlines, others that did not return and some fateful air accidents that shaped the city with a permanent passage of airplanes over our heads, that to this day we miss.
I share with you a special video of what was the closure of the old Quito airport:
Quito Airport in Tababela
The New Mariscal Sucre International Airport is located about 18 kilometers east of Quito, in the parish of Tababela. It is the largest and most modern airport in Ecuador, and has a runway 4.100 meters long, which makes it one of the safest and most efficient airports in Latin America.
Since its inauguration, the airport has experienced steady growth in the number of passengers and flights, and has become an important connection center for the Andean region and South America in general. On 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport handled more than 5 million passengers.
The New Mariscal Sucre International Airport it is also an important economic engine for the region, as it has attracted investment and created jobs in areas such as transportation, The tourism, hospitality and gastronomy.
Regarding the passenger experience, the airport has a wide variety of services and amenities, including shops, restaurants, VIP rooms, free Wi-Fi connection, ATMs, exchange houses and ground transportation services.
Statistics
The New Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport has experienced constant growth in the number of passengers since its inauguration in 2013. Here is a list of the number of passengers that have passed through the airport each year:
- 2013: 5.4 million passengers
- 2014: 5.5 million passengers
- 2015: 5.3 million passengers
- 2016: 4.8 million passengers
- 2017: 4.8 million passengers
- 2018: 5.2 million passengers
- 2019: 5.0 million passengers
- 2020: 1.5 million passengers (due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
- 2021: 2.3 million passengers
- 2022: 4.3 million passengers
As you can see, the number of passengers maintains an upward trend since the opening of the airport in 2013, except for the year 2020, when the pandemic COVID-19 severely affected air transport worldwide. Nevertheless, despite the pandemic, the airport has managed to recover to some extent in 2022, with passenger numbers continuing to grow as travel restrictions have been eased.
It should be noted that the New Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport has contributed significantly to the economic and tourist development of Ecuador and little by little it is consolidating its position as a connection center for the Andean region and South America in general.
routes and flights
When celebrating the 10 years of the new airport, This has the following international and national routes:
International flights
| Destiny | weekly frequencies | Airlines that operate |
| Atlanta | 7 | Delta 7 |
| Amsterdam | 7 | KLM 7 via Guayaquil |
| Bogota | 39 | Avianca 28, wing up 6 frequencies, LATAM Ecuador to 9 frequencies |
| Buenos Aires | 4 | Avianca Costa Rica to 8 frequencies |
| Fort Lauderdale | 7 | JetBlue 7 |
| Houston | 7 | United 7 (9 In high season) |
| Lima | 14 | LATAM Peru 14 |
| Madrid | 11 | Iberia until 7 frequencies, Air Europa to 5 frequencies |
| Medellin | 4 | Avianca 4 since March 2023 |
| Mexico | 7 | Aeromexico 7 |
| Miami | 21 | American Airlines to 21 frequencies, LATAM Ecuador 7 |
| New York | 4 | Avianca Ecuador 4 |
| Panama | 28 | drink up 35 frequencies |
| Saint Joseph | 4 | Avianca Costa Rica to 8 frequencies |
| San Salvador | 2 | Avianca El Salvador 7 |
| Santo Domingo | 2 | arajet up 3 frequencies |
domestic flights
Domestic routes is still the pending issue at the Quito airport to recover both in passengers and destinations. For this year 2023 the operating routes are:
| Destiny | weekly frequencies | Airlines that operate |
| Coca | 13 | Aeroregional and LATAM Ecuador |
| Cuenca | 42 | Avianca Ecuador and LATAM Ecuador |
| Store | 12 | Aeroregional |
| Guayaquil | 160 | Avianca Ecuador, Equair and LATAM Ecuador |
| Santa Rosa | 7 | Aeroregional |
| Manta | 25 | Avianca Ecuador and LATAM Ecuador |
| Baltra | 51 | Avianca Ecuador, Equair and LATAM Ecuador |
| San Cristobal | 20 | Avianca Ecuador, Equair and LATAM Ecuador |
| Esmeraldas | 3 | Avioandes Charter |
| Sour Lake | 4 | Avioandes Charter |
cargo flights
One of the key and fastest growing points in the Quito airport is air cargo, which covers the 90% of all exports that are carried out by plane throughout Ecuador. This importance is highlighted year after year thanks to the growing export market, especially focused on Ecuadorian roses, so sought after all over the world.
Finally, I share a video flying over years ago what was once an operational airport, now a park:
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