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From international airport in the middle of the city to a park: history of Old Quito Airport Marshal Sucre, Did the city win or lose??
The Ancient Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport (ICAO codes: FOLLOW, THERE IT IS: UIO) It had a history dating back to the first decades of the 20th century., culminating with its transformation into the current Bicentennial Park. This story not only covers the development of aviation in the Ecuadorian capital, but also the impact of urban growth on vital infrastructure, and the consequent balance of profits and losses for the city after its closure.
In this special delivery, We review part of his history and review what he won or lost Quito with this change that transformed, for good, the way of flying of Quito people, Ecuadorians and tourists.
The old Mariscal Sucre airport in Quito
Beginning lesson, I invite you first to review this special and emotional Aero Report that I made touring its spaces, ex-track and other areas, in which aeronautical activity is experienced to this day. Everything on the YouTube channel:
Before the definitive establishment in the El Labrador sector, aviation in Quito had two rudimentary landing fields.
- La Alameda Park (ca.. 1920s):
- It was the first field, a simple grass runway inaugurated with the arrival of the Quito plane 1, a SPAD 23, financed by private efforts.
- It quickly became obsolete and in the middle of the growing urban layout.
- Hacienda La Carolina:
- The plain of this estate was used for a new airfield.
- Only the Ecuador I plane operated after the Theodoro Gildreth Raid, who was looking to establish an airline. By not finding the necessary support or navigation infrastructure, The plane was sold to the Government.
- This field was located where the iconic DC-6 plane in the current La Carolina Park.
The old airport is born
The site that would become Mariscal Sucre was consolidated into 1929 when Panagra (Pan American-Grace Airways), requiring a larger and more operational space to start regular flights in Ecuador, chose the area that is today occupied by Bicentennial Park.
- First Operations: Initially called Quito Airfield, It operated with aircraft such as the DC-2 and later the Panagra DC-3.
- Rudimentary Track: For many years, The track was dirt in summer and grass and mud in winter., with an initial extension no greater than 2,500 meters.
- Challenge for Aviation: Unlike coastal cities like Guayaquil, Esmeraldas or Salinas, Quito airport, located at high altitude, represented a real technical challenge for commercial aircraft.
- Primitive Assistance: Navigation aids were minimal. The landings were assisted by a person with a radio telephone and a wind sock.. The only radio aid at the time was an ADF located in the Monjas sector..
- Infrastructure: The passenger terminal was located where the Transportation Command of the Ecuadorian Air Force is today. (Cotest).
Modernization of the old airport
The great leap in quality occurred in 1965. The airline Air France decided to start operating the route, but demanded that the Ecuadorian Government adapt the infrastructure for its planes Boeing 707, that required greater security.
- Paving and Terminal: Construction of a new terminal began, and most crucial, runway paving.
- Official Name: In this time of improvements, the airfield was formally named Mariscal Sucre Airport.
- Growth: The improvements allowed the safe operation of international and domestic aircraft (as Area and Ecuadorian) until its closure.
Closure and birth of Bicentennial Park
As the decades pass, The lack of an adequate urban plan allowed the airport to be completely surrounded by the city: households, schools and shops.
- Urban Risk: Although the airport predated the surrounding buildings, Its central location became a major safety risk for neighbors, fearful of potential plane crashes (which unfortunately occurred over the years). The track, that could no longer extend, was short for modern airplanes.
- The New Airport: Finally, It was decided to move the operation to the outskirts of the city, to the new Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Tababela (IATA code: UIO), inaugurated in 2013.
- Bicentennial Park: The 126 hectares of the old airfield were transformed into the Bicentennial Park, one of the largest green lungs in the capital.
Did Quito win or lose??
The closure of the old Mariscal Sucre International Airport and its subsequent transformation into the Bicentenario Park generated a profound impact on the city of Quito, presenting a balance of benefits and disadvantages for the population and urban dynamics.
What Quito Gained with the Closure
The most significant gain for the capital was citizen security. By relocating infrastructure, the risk of air accidents in a densely populated area was immediately eliminated, freeing thousands of neighbors from constant fear. Complementarily, An immense victory was obtained in terms of quality of life and public space with the creation of the Bicentennial Park, although for me, there is still a long way to go to be a real park. This green lung of 126 hectares became one of the largest recreational spaces in the city, available for sport, recreation and celebration of large events, something unthinkable with the operational track.
The move facilitated modern airport development; the new Mariscal Sucre in Tababela offers a longer runway suitable for contemporary aviation, improving international air connectivity and the city's logistics capacity.
What Quito Lost with the Closure
The main loss perceived by Quiteños is convenience and travel time. The old airport was located a few minutes from the center and north of the city, which made access very efficient. The new location, although necessary, is located one considerable distance and not so easy to reach, increasing travel time and costs associated with transportation. In addition to the logistical impact, the city experienced a symbolic loss. For decades, the Marshal Sucre It was a historical milestone and a reference point for citizens, a gateway with its own character that the relocation dissolved.
Finally, although the move resolved security problems, generated new mobility challenges by moving the flow of cargo, personnel and operations on the outskirts, affecting traffic dynamics and urban planning on new access roads.
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