Quito airport opens

Ecuador’s showpiece Mariscal Sucre International Airport at the capital Quito was officially opened last week, replacing the 1960's town centre operation which had completely outgrown the facilities and is now closed.

The 13,450ft runway (4,100m) is located 1,310ft lower than the current location, bringing more efficiency to aircraft, allowing take-offs with full passenger, cargo and fuel loads, also allowing for direct long haul services.  It is about 12 miles from Quito city centre. 

The facilities have a capacity to handle 5.5m passengers and 250,000 tonnes of cargo per year.

The airport is, in the main, served domestically by Lan Ecuador, Tame and Aerogal (Avianca).  Iberia has flights to Madrid, KLM to Amsterdam, Lufthansa connects to Frankfurt via the Caribbean.  US carriers include American Airlines (Miami), Delta (Atlanta) and United (Houston).  Flights to the Galapagos are normally routed via Guayaquil on the coast. www.aeropuertoquito.aero

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