How well connected is Ecuador?? We reviewed the ACI-LAC report on Ecuador: connectivity, passenger traffic, regional aviation, Open skies and the new LOAC with cabotage.
The Airports Council International for Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) presented its final report on regional connectivity and market power. The study offers a detailed diagnosis of the offer, the demand and regulatory framework for air transport in the region, allowing to accurately evaluate the current position of Ecuador on the Latin American aeronautical map.
How well connected are we in Ecuador?
In the demand section, Ecuador registered in 2025 a total traffic of 8,1 million passengers, divided almost symmetrically between the domestic market (4,1 millions) and the international (4,0 millions). These figures represent the 1,5% of the global volume managed in Latin America and the Caribe in both segments.
The Direct Connectivity Index (DCI) of the country is located in a 62,7%. This means that almost four out of every ten travelers entering or leaving Ecuadorian territory must resort to at least one intermediate stopover to reach their final destination., which reflects a persistent dependence on the main connection centers of the region to channel international demand.
One of the most relevant findings of the report covers the behavior of regional aviation, defined as operations carried out in aircraft of less than 100 seating. By adjusting available capacity by number of inhabitants, Ecuador -along with Peru, Chile and Venezuela— shows remarkably low levels within the continental context.
This lower presence of regional aviation shows that the country's internal connectivity has been predominantly concentrated on main routes operated with narrow-body aircraft.. There is untapped development space to connect secondary or lower-density cross-border markets through regional fleets adapted to that demand..
Open Skies Policy, regulatory framework and the new LOAC
Regarding aviation policy, the document positions Ecuador in the group of South American countries with a consolidated liberalization framework. Since the formal adoption of the policy of Open skies on 2018, the country has used bilateral agreements, memoranda of understanding and the regulatory framework of the Andean Community (CAN) to make traffic rights more flexible, capacities and frequencies.
Added to this scenario analyzed in the report is a decisive regulatory milestone at the national level.: the entry into force of the new Organic Law of Civil Aviation (LOAC). This regulation deepens the opening of Ecuadorian skies by allowing international airlines to carry out cabotage operations within the national territory using foreign aircraft and crews..
The report highlights that Ecuador is an active part of regional integration initiatives. Together with Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, The country participates in the evaluation of the “Cielos Andinos” project to harmonize regulations, in addition to having adhered to the CLAC memorandum for the liberalization of fifth and sixth freedoms.
The diagnosis of ACI-LAC confirms that Ecuador has a public policy aligned with global opening trends. The challenge for the national market now lies in translating this ambitious legal and regulatory framework into a greater supply of intermediate routes and less dependence on external connections for its international flows..
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