Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport

Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport

The Mariscal Sucre International Airport of Quito in Tababela isá anniversary when celebrating año más of the entry of operations of the new terminal that was given the 20 February 2013 with a Tame flight from Guayaquil, leaving behindás más de 60 añhistory of the Old Mariscal Sucre that was located in the middle of the capital of Ecuador.

In front of thousands of guests, airport staff, aerolídenies, press and curious, the 19 February 2013 past the 19:00 Ecuador Local Time, he took off úlast flight of the former Marshal Sucre of Quito, putting likeí fin a 60 añthe history of this enigmaático airport. An airport úonly one in the world that filledó the history of Quito with good and bad moments, but above all, connectó during all hours of the dayíto remove themños with the environment and aero worldáutico by the resounding of hundreds of flights.

History Former Mariscal Sucre

Marshal Sucre with his cóI say ICAO: FOLLOWING from IATA: UIO, entró in service approximately 1929, and although there are no exact data or greater details, the renowned historian aeronáEcuadorian utico, Guido Cháturn, He tells us that during the second half of the yearsños 20, Quito previously had two fields aviationón, the first was released with the arrival of the avión Quito 1, a SPAD 23, Betweenído the país in a purely private effort, this first airóDromo was in La Alameda park, near the current Government Palace, evidently it was a field of grass without any infrastructure, that in a short time I am in the middle of the city, y así This is how the flat spaces of the La Carolina hacienda were used, for ohí set the space for a new track, but único avión what operationó from this airóDromo was the Ecuador I on its arrival flight after the Theodoro Gildreth Raid, It is worth mentioning that it was located in the place where today we can see the avión DC-6 that belongedó to the FAE in what is now the city's main park. The to intendóGildreth's goal was to establish an aviation companyón, but seeing that it does not existíno aid to navigationón, is más airports, the grandfatherón was sold to the Government and operatedó a while until it finally crashedó.

History of Quito airport Mariscal Sucre Panagra
Source Áfamily album by Fernando Chiriboga añthe approximate 1932*

For 1929, Panagra begins operations within the Ecuador, but for this purpose it requiresían airfieldón with more space, onceón for which it was chosenó to what we know today as the current Quito Airport, but at that time it was simply called Campo de Aviación from Quito, and hacían regular flights especially with the company's DC-2 aircraft, and later the DC-3. The track in summer was dirt and in winter it was grass and mud, This was maintained by manyños, even with the arrival of the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt for the FAE, the birth of ANDESA, AREA y Shell.

At that time, landing assistance service, It was done by a person who with a radio telephoneéphone in one hand and a windsock in the other assistíin the approach phaseón to the track, además, just existsíto an ADF in a demonized area Nuns, true aviators those who at that time, they landed in Quito. Naturally arrive in Guayaquil, Esmeraldas or Salinas was much más fácil because they are at sea level, which made Quito a real challenge for aviationón commercial. back then, the extensionón of the track was no greater than 2500 meters and who regulated aviationón civil era Panagra. The passenger terminal was located in what is now the terminal of the Transportation Command of Force AéEcuadorian area.

Already for 1965, Air France, Seeing the increase in its market in Ecuador, it decides to start operations with the Boeing 707 and for this it requests the Ecuadorian Government to adaptúand a terminal, y más that nothing a clue idónea, ie paved, there you areí that for that sameñor the construction phase beginsóterminal no., of the already called Mariscal Sucre Airport, and the pavingón of the runway that allows the operators to operate 707 of the French company with greater security and «cleaning» like theí spaghettién to the planes of the sun companieséstatic like Área, Ecuadorian and others. There you areí how this airport was maintained and betteró in time according to the demand until its closure.

American Grace. with Panagra in Quito
Fuente Pan American Grace. with Panagra in Quito, note the control towerños 50*

With the growth of the city, Marshal Sucre remainedó surrounded by houses, schools and shops as there is no urban planístatic and control in the city afterés of its commencement of commercial operations. This brought with time a series of risks for the neighbors of the sector, even though the airport arrivedó first than the houses, for many toñI demanded themó his departure from the city, more than anything because of the fear of potential accidentséprisoners who with theñthey were given to you.

Accidents toéprisoners in Quito

SpaghettiéNo accidents and incidents that have occurred on the track or nearby are known.íAce of Marshal Sucre, those who made it gain the fame of a dangerous airport, of the más difíwhat do you try, but you are a geographería and climate. Among these accidents and others not documented, the following stand out::

 

DateAircraftRecordAerolíneafatalities
16-MAY-1947Douglas C-47A-DL42-32926USAAF (First reported event in Quito)No data
11-JUL-1960Douglas C-47B-50-DK Skytrain45-1109US Mission18
07-NOV-1960Fairchild F-27AHC-ADVAREA Ecuador37
18-SEP-1984Douglas DC-8-55FHC-BKNAECA4+ 49
10-DIC-1992Sabreliner 60FAE001AFAE10+ 3
29-AGO-1998Tupolev 154MCU-T1264Cuban70+ 10
09-NOV-2007Airbus A340-642EC-JOHIberia0
22-SEP-2008Fokker F28 Fellowship 4000HC-CDTÍCARO0
16-SEP-2011Embraer 190HC-CEZTame Ecuador0

*Data canístill have impressions.

Así such as the aforementioned accidents/incidents in the previous table, there have been several similar events, but they have had no impactón pública, mainly by the different branches of the Armed Forces, FAE and Army which have records of accidents and incidents in Quito. Inclusive, Before the closure of the airport, two additional incidents occurred in the Old Mariscal Sucre, one starring a Embraer 190 from Tame HC-CEZ and another for a House 235 part Noérecite.

Marshal Sucre of Quito history
a cláSick summer dawn in Mariscal Sucre in Quito.

For these facts, some unfortunate, Quito wonó la reputationón world as diferent airportícil, complicated and dangerous, demanding pilots and airílines that operated thereí a máMaximum certifications and experience.

The pilots who flew daily in Quito got used to the práreal and simulator tactics, to its changing weather with mist, storms, Torrential rains, windshear all in one día, operationón on short track, high and polluted, to your displaced ILS, your slope slope, to the lack of compliance with some requirements místandards required by ICAO, buildings and houses on the fencesías, etc. With the reasons expressed above and other más made the previous Quito airport one of the más known and respected within the aero industryáutica.

Boeing 747-400 from Singapore Quito Ecuador
Challenging for aircraft of all sizesños. Boeing 747-400 of Singapore in track final 35.
Quito Bicentennial Park Old Quito Mariscal Sucre Airport
There are only a few hundred meters left of the runway and now it gives way to construction.ón of the Quito Metro, Bicentennial Park and new convention center.

For this reason, the authorities looked for ways or alternatives to have an aviationón máIt's safe for the city and the countryís, where the new Tababela Airport project was born.

Afterés after the opening of the Nuevo Mariscal Sucre has been postponed twice, meaning a delay of más from two toños and with a construction timeón of almost 11 años, the 19 February 2013 the aviationóEcuadorian company took a radical turn towards modernity and development with its new airport, which grantedó to the city and Ecuador extensive and new facilities for both passengers and cargo, además improvements to navigation aidsón and how alsoén is the new track, which with its 4.100 meters converted from más great from Sur América, what has allowed the creationón of new direct routes to points más far from the American continent and Europe and favorió to current routes increase capacity and reduce operational restrictionsón in height, since the new airport is located 400 meters below the old terminal (2.410 meters SEQM – Nuevo).

LAN Cargo Boeing 777F Quito Ecuador
Queues of planes form in Mariscal Sucre from the 16:00 local hours every dayías.

the end of an era

It was the 17:59 of the 19 of February and úlast grandfatherón to land in the enigmáThe runway of the old Quito airport rested its wheels on the worn asphalt, the airbus 319 of AeroGal HC-CKN increased the sadness feltíin the aviation environmentón since several weeks prior to the final closure of the airport. Hundreds of curious and fansáCosta Ricans who arrived near the airport with balloons, posters, flowers and even mariachis to thank and say goodbye to the much loved and at the same time feared airport by some sectors of the city, clapíeven with the passing of each birdón and they took advantage to capture the úlatest photographsías. To remove themñYou are accustomed to the noise and daily passage of airplanes, that was him úlast díwhere you canístill hear the roar of the hundreds of planes that flew over the capital's sky every day.

Quito Mariscal Sucre airport closes
Panoramaálittle of the platform of the former Marshal Sucre in díto closing.

The final closing time of Mariscal Sucre was agreed for the 19:00 Local time, helixóPteros and planes of the Armed Forcesístill rushing towards their new bases in Latacunga and Guayaquil, but being such a special moment, the FAE gave usó farewell level passes with L-100, Avro y Sabreliner, which brought drops of emotionóadditional to the closing ceremony. AeroGal's commercial aircraft, LAN, Tame, Cup, KLM and Iberia tooéThey hurried their exit, because if the planes don't leaveíeven at the defined time, dutyíto request special permission from the DAC to go out into the dayíto next operating from a closed airport.

The úLast international flight was the Airbus 340-300 EC-GUP de Iberia, which was fired with a great arc of water, putting an end to the flights of this airlineínea in the old terminal, in which I operatedó per más de 40 años. brought us closeráwe were going to the final moment, including an avión exIcarus achievedó take off on time before closing, followed by a row of several airplanes and aerolídenies, sóThe two private planes did not manage to take off until the indicated time. At 19:06 with a slight delay due to the departure of the úlatest AeroGal flights and alsoéwhat?ñadore for him úlast arch of water, the airbus 319 Tame HC-CGT took offó for úlast time from the airport directedéheading towards Guayaquil, ending an era in aviationóecuadorian n, marked by aeron growtháoffice of the paíyes and alsoén for accidents, which finally were the main reason for carrying out the construction.ón of a new and más secure terminal.

Finally at 19:15, the runway and taxiway lights were switched off permanently and forever, followed by a great spectáfireworks ass, The applause and mixed emotions were the tóonly in the vicinity of the airport for several minutes, while trucks and firefighters traveledístill on the track he said goodbyeéing of people sounding sirens and más.

Aerial view of Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport
sad image, the closed runway of the old Quito airport with the respective X, removalón of asphalt and airplanes being cut. Photo taken on 22 February 2013

Al díto next and after 14 hours of silence over Quito, at 9:00 from meñanna of the 20 of February was heardó again an avión fly over the city, it was the flight TAME-300 from Guayaquil, the same avión that the night before there wasíthe airport has closed, this time inaugurated the new, which began a new stage in aviationóecuadorian n.

Characterísticas téconical New Quito Airport

located at 17 kilómeters in lístraight line of the old track and 40 kilómeters from the city center by highway, the new Quito airport offers greater capacity and facilities for all its users, Individuals and private individuals enjoy the greatest technologyífocused on securityérea, among other improvements comparedón to the previous airport:

NEW AIRPORTOLD AIRPORT
Area in hectáreas: 1.500Area in hectáreas: 126
Áconstruction areaón in hectáreas: 70Áconstruction areaón in hectáreas: 40
Passenger terminal square meters: 38.000+Passenger terminal square meters: 28.700
Estimated passengers toñO: 5.000.000Estimated passengers toñO:3.660.000
load capacity: 249.530+ tonsload capacity: 149.718 tons
ÁLoading area square meters: 46.000+ÁLoading area square meters: 15.198
Control tower height: 41 metersControl tower height: 22 meters
hour operations: 12hour operations: 8
aircraft parking: 60aircraft parking: 32
Altitude: 2.410 maslAltitude: 2.810 masl
track length: 4.100 meterstrack length: 3.120 meters
New aerial view of Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport
Photographería aéarea taken 4 months before I should haveó ser la inaugurationón in October 2012.

The comparison chart clearly demonstrates the advantages of the new airport, especially if we take into account that these data are the initial, since it is foreseené planes of expansionón both terminal (Phase 2 expansion has already been completedónational terminal and expansionón of loading platform), like a potential second clue, which to tellíwith its own terminal for domestic flights and aviationóminor n.

Passenger check-in Quito Tababela Airport
Part of the international departure check-in counters.

The expansion worksón majors at the new airport will haveán a significant disafíor due to the complexity of the terrain and large amounts of compactionón of land to be owedíto be carried out in order to fulfill the projected.

With an inverseón higher than $700 millions of dóhomes throughout the project tooén waiting times in immigrationón y filtrósecurity measures have been reduced by up to 50%:

ServiceNew Airportold airport
Counters de Migrationón passenger departure:14+12
Counters de Migrationón arrival of passengers:20+14
security filters:7+4
customs filters:4+2

Destinations and Aerolídenies

At Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport, they currently operate 11 aerolíinternational lines and 3 nationals who serve 16 international destinations and 11 sun destinationséstatic. The projectionón para is añor is it that the núaerosol grouperíinternational lines grow to 13 and destinations to 18 with the arrival of German company Condor and  potentially that of the chilena Sky Airline.

Destinations by airínea
Aerolídeniescities
Avianca EcuadorNationals: Guayaquil / Port Francisco de Orellana – The Coca / Manta / Sour Lake / Baltra and San Cristóbal (víto GYE or direct)
international: Bogotaá / Lima
LATAM EcuadorNationals: Cuenca / Manta / Santa Rosa / Coca /  Guayaquil / Baltra and San Cristóbal (víto GYE or direct)
international: Lima
TAME EPNationals: Baltra (Direct or vía GYE) / Cuenca / Port Francisco de Orellana – The Coca / Esmeraldas / Guayaquil / Manta / New Store – Sour Lake / Catamayo- Store / San Cristóbal (vía GYE) / Santa Rosa
international: Cali (Vía ESM)
Air EuropaInternational: Madrid (vía GYE)
AeroméxicoInternational: City of México
American Airlinesinternational: Miami
Avianca El SalvadorInternational: San Salvador
Air FranceInternational:  Paris
Copa AirlinesInternational: Panama Cityá
Delta Air LinesInternational: Atlanta
GOALInternational: São Paulo
IberiaInternational: Madrid
JetBlue AirwaysInternational: Fort Lauderdale
KLMInternational: ÁAmsterdam (Vía GYE)
United AirlinesInternational: Houston
WingoInternational: Bogotaá
LATAM Airlines ChileInternational: Santiago
More UltraInternational: Madrid (vía GYE)
InterjetInternational: México
Air Canada RougeInternational: Toronto

¿CóHow to get to the new Quito Airport?

Without a doubt the topic that máwith halfélittle Januaryó in Quito it was transportation to the new airport, located something más de 26 kilómeters from the city center, reaching it at its opening was no task fácil and it was not economicalómonkey, especially when comparing it with the old terminal.

Users were already accustomed to arriving in no more than 30 minutes from the majoríto points in the city and paying no más de $5 dólares by taxi. At the beginning of airport operations, arrive to take a flight or see someone.ía tomar más de 1 hour with 30 minutes, but with the inaugurationón of the Collas Route and Viva Route, these times were reduced to an average of 45 minutes or 35 minutes secún the point in the city where the tour begins. In this topic más informativeístico we present  informationóReference number on the means to reach the new airport and its average costs:Bus semi-exprés:

  • From stop Ríthe coke (Ecovía) o desde el terminal terrestre de Quitumbe (south of Quito).
  • Cost: $2 dóhomes.
  • Characterístatic: 11 defined stops, smaller than those of an interparish bus, and just carryán seated passengers (máximo two people standing). Units come out every 10 O 14 minutes, depending on the hours of greatest demand.
  • Time: this service isá available from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m..

Bus exprés especial – Aero (before Aeroservices):

  • From the old Parque Bicentenario airport.
  • Cost: $8 dóhomes.
  • Characterístatic: no stops along the way, equipped with GPS and internet, each 30 minutes or on demand. This service is provided by Aeroservices.
  • Time: every half hour.

Taxi:

  • From anywhere in the city. There are alsoén private taxi and VIP transportation services to and from the Airport.
  • Cost: tariff established by sectors for 24 hours. benchmarks:
    • North of Quito:
      • Monteserrín (He Inca)-Airport 20 dólares and back 22,50 dóhomes.
      • San Carlos-Airport 24 dólares and back 27 dóhomes.
    • North center of Quito:
      • La Carolina-Airport 21 dólares and back 24,50 dóhomes.
      • Centro Histórico-Airport 23 dólares and back 26 dóhomes.
    • South center of Quito:
      • La Villaflora-Airport 23,50 dólares and back 27 dóhomes.
      • Recreation-Airport 24 dólares and back 28 dóhomes.
    • South of Quito:
      • Quitumbe-Airport 28,50 dólares and back 33 dóhomes.
      • La Ecuatoriana-Airport 29 dólares and back 33,50 dóhomes.
    • Valles:
      • Tumbaco-Airport 11 dólares and back 13,50 dóhomes.
      • Cumbayá-Airport 14 dólares and back 17 dóhomes.

Parking lots

  • Quito Airport offers parking for a value of $7 dódaily lares.
  • Hotel Wyndham a 5 minutes from the airport offers parking for $5 dódaily lares – offers free airport shuttle.
  • There are other parking options around the airport from $5 dódaily lares – offers free airport shuttle.

Car rental

  • Hertz
  • Avis
  • locate
  • Budget
  • Thrifty

With all these options, the opinionóThe initial negative attitude towards the new airport has been changing, driven by greater ease and rátransfer request as wellén due to the custom and growing increase in passenger demand to travel to and from the Ecuadorian capital.

Stadiumísticas Quito Airport Passengers

2013-2014

passengers 2013
International2.057,107
National3.363,999
Total5.421,106
passengers 2014
International2.276,693
National3.297,326
Total5.574,019
Variationón
International10.7%
National-2%
Total2.8%

2014-2015

passengers 2014
International2.276,693
National3.297,326
Total5.574,019
passengers 2015
International2.357,407
National3.019,137
Total5.376,544
Variationón
International3.5%
National-8.4%
Total-3.5%

2015-2016

passengers 2015
International2.357,407
National3.019,137
Total5.376,544
passengers 2016
International2.169,901
National2.682,629
Total4.852,530
Variationón
International-8%
National-11.1%
Total-9.7%

2016-2017

passengers 2016
International2.169,901
National2.682,629
Total4.852,530
passengers 2017
International2.242,041
National2.633,125
Total4.875,166
Variationón
International3.3%
National-1.8%
Total0.5%

2017-2018

passengers 2017
International2.242,041
National2.633,125
Total4.875,166
passengers 2018
International2.364,594
National2.863,478
Total5.228,072
Variationón
International5.5%
National8.7%
Total7.2%

2018-

passengers 2018
International2.364,594
National2.863,478
Total5.228,072

Stadiumísticas Quito Airport Cargo

2013-2014

*tonsLoad 2013
International162,510
National7,818
Total170,328
Load 2014
International181,043
National7,493
Total188,535
Variationón
International11.4%
National-4.2%
Total10.7%

2014-2015

*tonsLoad 2014
International181,043
National7,493
Total188,535
Load 2015
International181,446
National6,911
Total188,357
Variationón
International0.2%
National-7.8%
Total-0.1%

2015-2016

*tonsLoad 2015
International 181,446
National6,911
Total188,357
Load 2016
International180,792
National7,509
Total188,302
Load
International-0.4%
National8.7%
Total0.0%

2016-2017

*tonsLoad 2016
International180,792
National7,509
Total188,302
Load 2017
International203,992
National6,231
Total210,223
Variationón
International12.8%
National-17.0%
Total11.6%

2017-2018

*tonsLoad 2017
International203,992
National6,231
Total210,223
Load 2018
International231,945
National6,193
Total238,138
Variationón
International13.7%
National-0.6%
Total13.3%

2018-

*tonsLoad 2018
International231,945
National6,193
Total238,138

Leave a comment on this post!

8 comments on “Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito”

  1. Updated airport information is here:
    (link covered)
    It is updated regularly and is available until December 2017.
    I sent you a link to an investigation carried out a year and a half ago on the impact of the new airport:
    (link covered)
    Best regards
    Gonzalo

  2. Excellent information Nicholas., congratulations and thanks for detailing the history of Quito and Ecuadorian aviation.

    Regarding the statistics, it would be interesting to see the evolution and growth of national and international passenger traffic up to 2017 since it only dates from 3013 and 2014.

    Kind regards.

Scroll to start