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JetSMART does not rule out a subsidiary in Ecuador, This is what the CEO commented in an exclusive interview Stuart Ortiz, who puts the magnifying glass on the regulatory simplification proposed by the Ecuadorian aeronautical authority.
The airline company confirms a positive performance in the Quito route, as its only current destination in Ecuador, but it conditions a greater expansion to the reduction of rates and greater operational freedom.
JetSMART would study a subsidiary in Ecuador
The airline ultra low cost JetSMART keeps his gaze fixed on Ecuador. Although currently it only operates the route to Quito, Stuart Ortiz, CEO de JetSMART, confirmed that the balance of this operation is "positive" and did not rule out the possibility of establishing a local subsidiary in the country if regulatory conditions move towards simplification.
The airline, which already has subsidiaries in Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Peru, sees a potential in the Ecuadorian market that could unleash a new stage of growth from 2026.
The regulatory factor as a catalyst
When consulted during the ALTA Forum in Lima on whether there is an analysis to generate a subsidiary directly in Ecuador, Ortiz directly linked the expansion decision to the speed and flexibility of the regulatory changes implemented by the country..
The key example for the airline is Argentina, where regulatory simplification translated into growth in 100% of JetSMART in the last year. «I believe that we are going to work very closely with the authority. I think it's the right way, the way to make an operation in Ecuador simpler and easier, giving more freedom, said the CEO.
The key to the ultra-low cost proposal is that an operator can have a base and fly "to any other" country with simple requirements. When asked if this option is being looked at further, The response from the JetSMART leader was forceful: "Yeah, we are going to see it, definitely."
Boarding fees
Estuardo Ortiz was emphatic when explaining the main obstacle to his business model: taxes and shipping fees.
«Our proposal is low prices… What we are looking for is to bring aviation to people who do not travel or travel little., do not take share from the competitor, And that can only be achieved if what people pay is little., explained.
The problem is that, in some markets, The part of the total cost that does not go to the airline—but to the State in the form of fees or taxes—can be the 50% O 60% of the total value of the ticket. Thus, the message to the Ecuadorian authorities is clear: The reduction of boarding fees and regulatory simplification are essential so that low-cost aviation can fully develop in the country., promoting connectivity and the entry of new passengers to the system.
AND, ¿Guayaquil?
Regarding the city of Guayaquil, Ortiz admitted that, Although the growth of the fleet in 2025 has focused on priority markets such as Argentina and Colombia, This does not mean that it has been discarded Ecuador.
«No, no, of course not, we can never rule out any market. The region is changing rapidly… JetSMART is subject to so many variables that it always [we maintain] a lot of operational flexibility to explore opportunities, and one of them could potentially be Ecuador.", concluded, leaving the door open for an improvement in regulatory and cost conditions to drive the creation of the long-awaited Ecuadorian subsidiary and its return to the José Joaquín de Olmedo from Lima.
The airline closely follows the changes implemented by the country's aviation authority, confirming that the future of JetSMART Ecuador depends on how simple and attractive the market for ultra-low cost investment becomes..
Will we see this idea take off?? Stay tuned for the future.
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