Cotopaxi International Airport: with great potential to grow

Located at the foot of the volcanoán active más highest in the world, Cotopaxi, is one of the más important airports in Ecuador, which with first class facilitiesía seeks to take off and become an important alternative to Aerolípa linesís and the regionón, We are talking about the Cotopaxi International Airport or alsoén called Alternative.

History

Built in the déeach of the 60s, initially as a Military Base, Latacunga Airport was transformedágoing with the passing of the yearsños in an attractive terminal, that for someñIt was the alternate airport to Quito when events took place in the capital of Ecuador from Polítical to natural, as it was caíday of ashes of the más de 6 volcanoes surrounding these two airports, where the case más representative of this alternative, it happened when in june 1.999 the volcanoán Guagua Pichincha, that in its skirts the city of Quito is located, eruptionó afterñthose of rest, covering the city with at least 3 centímeters of ash in some sectors, what forcedó the evacuationóImmediate removal of all of Marshal Sucre's planes (old airport), transferámost of its operations moving to Latacunga, where they arrivedás de 40 daily airline operationsíneas like KLM, American Airlines, aerosucre, Tame, Hour, Aerogal, Icaro and other aerosolíexisting ones in this élittle. On that occasionóno leftó máIt has been proven that the airport runway and apron areán able to receive hundreds of flights without setbacks or delays.

Informationón about the beginnings of constructionón of this airport were born at the height of the NASA Space Program, where this Agency collaboratedó in the constructionón of large tracks in strata placesémagicians of the world, so that in an eventual emergency or special need, their shuttles could land on these runways, That is why the Latacunga track will haveíIt has been made with specifications téNorth American songs, both in your positionón, resistance as in its length.

To the shadow of Quito, This terminal has sought to grow and position itself as an important alternative for Aerolílines that see Mariscal Sucre as a potentially congested airport or even with comparatively higher costs.

Departures and arrivals

Check Zone

Check Zone

VIP room

Migrationón

Boarding Zone

international arrival

Migrationón

Customs

Control tower

That is why in February 2.009, the Gobierno startó repowering worksóairport n by más of USD 26 millions, which included the constructionón complete of a new terminal with 2 sleeves of passengers for boarding and disembarkation with waiting rooms with capacity for 1200 daily passengers, repavingón of the 3.641 meters long track, which is the second más big of the país, with technologyícutting-edge and new characterístatic to ensure durability over time, implementó high strength concrete in the 15 aircraft parking points, hangars were repowered andó a new quarter terminal fríthose for administrationón charging with 3.600 square meter, where roses are the main product exported from Latacunga with más de 30 thousand tons per year.

Once these works, which took little time, were completedás de 2 años, the 21 July 2011 was inauguratedó officially the new terminal, repowered runway and platforms, a flight of the now almost defunct Saereo with an Embraer 120 on the Guayaquil route – Latacunga was in charge of this event. Tras esta inaugurationón, the expectations of all the productive sectors of the central area of ​​the countryís grew and new opportunities were seen to boost the economy.ía local. New flights were opened by Centurion Cargo and the airline's flights were maintainedínea that for meás uninterrupted time has operated at this airport, Cargolux (Luxembourg) and Cargo B flights resumed (Bélogic), that in the time of modernizationón of Latacunga, they operated in Quito for a while.

Present

With the arrival of the 3 ATR42-500 from state-owned Tame EP at the end of 2011, new flights were opened between Guayaquil and Latacunga, with extensión to Coca, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, that in the long run ended up replacing the operationóinitial n of Saereo between the city más populated and the center of the countryís. With expectations growing and the trápassenger traffic in the same way, various aerosolíneas were interested in operating at the airport, pudéknowing the intentionón to operate in Cotopaxi at that time by LAN Cargo, Avianca Cargo and there were even strong rumors about American Airlines and even Viva Colombia, everyone wantsíto take advantage of lower comparative costs in a 70% to operate in other airports in Ecuador.

But how did it happen?ó Worldwide, the recessionón económica and reductionón of the price of petróleo brought a decreaseón in imports, exports and a significant drop in the flow of passengers from 5 weekly flights that Tame EP arrivedó to operate between Guayaquil, Latacunga and Coca (oil capital of Ecuador) and alsoéThe departure of the great major was not seeníto international freight.

But, Latacunga has an advantage over other airports in the countryís, apart from lower operating costs, spaghettién has JET A1 fuel subsidy, which is exclusive for airports managed by the Directorateón General of Aviationón Civil, operator of this terminal, which has allowed the airlines to offerícurrent lines and others that have operated over time, aún lower costs.

In addition to regular flights, they arrive at this airport on average 2 aircraft bimonthly for maintenance. At the DIAF facilities – DireccióNo. of Aeron Industryáutics of Force AéEcuadorian Hangar Area 1, Various types of aircraft maintenance are performed, from check B to C, of various aerosolílines of the regionón and even the world. This center is certified to provide services to Boeing-type aircraft 727, Boeing 737 from -100 until -500 and even the great DC-10 toñthe atreás. For these facilities, úonly in Ecuador certified by the FAA, DGAC Ecuador, INAC Venezuela, DGAC Chile and DGAC Peruú, Hundreds of airplanes from a wide variety of airlines have passed by.ídenies, as far away as vietnam. Equally, next to this center is another hangar attached to the DIAF, but where exclusive maintenance is carried out on all Force A aircraftéarea and in this area important repowering works have been carried out.ón to the Hercules C-130 and L-100 fleet and even in its time to the legendary Mirage F1.

Thanks to the facilities of the Latacunga Airport, maintenance and painting work is carried out in less time than in other centers

specialists of the regionón, allowing to reduce costs and times of aircraft launching, thanks to the fact that this airport is located in a privileged climate zone, with 98% of operability and a spaceédecongested kidney for the accomplishmentón of test and verification flightsón.

Latacunga was the base of operations for LAC – Línea AéCuencana area by más de 2 años, which mainly carried out flightsárter to Coca and Nueva Loja for oil companies más flights cháright turníto the Caribbean and other destinations with your CRJ-200 HC-CMY. Sayúcould not be known, the airíneed to beíplanning his return, where Latacunga beíto its base of operations again, this time for regular passenger flights with potentially Dash equipment 8.

Spaghettién the Alternativo Cotopaxi witnessed the attempted takeoff of Suramericana de Aviación, with a Boeing 737-500 HC-COP, but the project did not prosperó and this same avión operó for a while to LAC.

t dataécynical

• Capacity mámaximum number of passengers that caníto manage the airport annually.

The national passenger terminal has capacity 200 seating, taking into account an average number of aircraft for 100 passengers with periods of two hours that they require for the operationówe are not talking about 1200 daily and annual passengers: 438.000 passengers.

The international passenger terminal has capacity 450 Asia

flow, taking into account an average number of aircraft for 100 passengers with periods of two hours that they require for the operationówe are not talking about 5400 daily and annual passengers: 1´971.000 passengers.

• Capacity máplatform xima dependent on type and categoryíto the ancestorsón.

The platform has 10 breasts in positionón normal and 10 A, so enterían 10 narrow cabin aircraft. The platform alsoén can encompass alternated i.e. 5-6 narrow cabin aircraft 2-3 wide cabin freighters, this is because every widebody freighter encompasses 2 and up to three pits.

Destinations and airídenies

After this complex panorama explained in the sectionón News, Latacunga maintained until the 12 April of 2017, 2 weekly flights from Guayaquil by Tame and to the úlast week of June, 4 Cargolux weekly flights, which in its flights “milkmen” how do you know them, I usually arrived at this airport from Brazil and México to later continue filling its cargo holds in Bogotáá prior to his return crossing to Europe. From the first week of July, Cargolux startó regular operations in Quito instead of Latacunga.

Hoy #Tame make your úlast flight between #Guayaquil and #Latacunga on #ATR42. Route is suspended until further notice. Opera 1 weekly flight ✈️ pic.twitter.com/e7OXwNWGQR

— Nicolás Larenas ✈️ (@n_larenas) April 12, 2017

The airport demonstratedó its ability to receive flights with large passenger capacity, when the 6 from December to 2013, An Air Namibia Airbus A340-300 landedó in Latacunga with all its capacity, bringing to Ecuador más de 300 jóYou come for a world meeting held in the país.

Apart from regular flights that may occur, the main user is Force AéEcuadorian area, which with the closure of the Old Quito Airport and theún unfinished new military platform at the capital's airport, optó for moving all its operations from the Transportation Wing to Latacunga, having daily más de 3 flights and especially the días friday, where these rise to meás de 6, mobilizing your Boeing fleet 737, House 295M, Twin Otter and Beechcraft to destinations like the Taura Base, Guayaquil, Salinas, Sour Lake, Manta and even Quito, where they move, to and from, mainly personnel of the Armed Forces and their families in the well-known “log flightsístatic”.

Frequencies that were operated

Projectionón

The great potential of Latacunga lies in the load. Thanks to a new políethics promoted by the Ministry of Transportation, Latacunga Airport will haveá the opportunity to capture around a 10% of cargo flights arriving in Quito, especially those who do not operate regularly and do úonly as chárter in high flower loading seasons. This new proposal promotes the use of airports managed by the Directorateón of Aviationón Civil with low costs for operating in them, versus a higher value for concessioned airports, this promoteá first, the change of operations chárter loading by regular and second useón of state airports that have potential for exports, maintaining an operationón of type chárter, without the need to operate on a regular basis as explained in más detail HEREÍ.

The good news for Latacunga, within this delicate framework of not having regular flights, changeá at the end of July, when cargo operations in Colombia, AeroCaribe starts regular flights to Latacunga from Bogotá with extensionón from Cotopaxi to Lima, what to marká a new milestone for the Airport that awaits with this, make room for potential new aerolílines and destinations.

Regarding passenger flights, the soon return of LAC is expected – Líneas AéCuencanas areas, to resumeíand su operationón this time on a regular basis with turboh aircraftélice Bombardier Havilland Canada Dash 8 DHC-8 and additionally it has been known that Sudamericana de Aviación tryíto start flights again, this time with CRJ-200 aircraft, remembering that his base in his first attempt was Latacunga.

for himñO 2018 Tame is expected to resume 5 weekly flights between Guayaquil and Latacunga, once the aerosolíline overcomes some operational problems in terms of fleet availability and alsoéin the economic panoramaópa's friendís is presented más favorable for the marketéreo, especially with the new fuel subsidy auction modalityéreo Jet A1 on social routes and where there is only one competitor.

Equally, the airport has had conversations that some aerolíforeign lines from the Caribbean and North Americaérich to present the advantages of the airport and analyze a potential start of operations.

Finally, in the short term, the new school of pilots IcalPilots S.A Startíto pilot training operations in Latacunga, being likeí the first school to be based at the Cotopaxi Province Airport.

The Airport has great potential and opportunities for growth and improvement of the infrastructure are possible, like the creationón of a taxiway that connects the apron with the northern end 19 From the airport, what will allow youíto be toún más efficient in its operation in the face of potential business growtháfico and flights. We thank the Managementón of the Directionón of Aviationón Civil DGAC and all airport staff for their openness and full collaborationón para la implementationón of this report.

Stadiumístatic