Month: November 2016

• This number has been reached in three years and nine months since the airport opened in February 2013.
• The 20 millionth passenger is Ecuadorian and was returning to Quito after a trip through South America.

Quito, November 23, 2016. The number of passengers who have traveled through Mariscal Sucre Airport has already reached 20 million since the start of operations on February 20, 2013. This afternoon, our 20 millionth passenger arrived on TAME flight EQ 312 from Guayaquil. The passenger was María Fernanda Lucano, who lives in Quito and arrived after a trip through South America.

Upon her arrival she was met with a celebratory atmosphere and was the VIP guest at the party organized in her honor, where Corporación Quiport gifted her a membership to access the airport’s VIP lounges and use the fast track service.

Carlos Criado, Commercial Director of Quiport, congratulated the lucky passenger and also gave her a certificate to mark this special occasion.

María Fernanda Lucano was surprised at being the 20 millionth passenger. “I am pleased to see how Quito Airport continues to grow and improve”, she said while thanking Quiport for always thinking of the comfort of passengers and users.

For Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Quiport, it is a source of pride to have reached 20 million passengers at Mariscal Sucre Airport, and is thanks to the evident improvement in connectivity offered by the airport since it started to operate in the parish of Tababela.

We always have the chance to improve. “The environment at an airport is dynamic, it is always changing and requires our daily attention and we are constantly asking ourselves what we can do better”, he explained.

About Corporación Quiport S.A.

Corporación Quiport is the company in charge of the comprehensive management of Mariscal Sucre International Airport of Quito, Ecuador, located in Tababela, 24 km from the capital city.

Quiport is formed by important companies with vast experience in the concession and operation of airports: CCR of Brazil, Odinsa S.A. of Colombia and HAS Development Corporation (HAS-DC) of the USA.

• As of March 26, the airline will fly six days a week from Quito to Europe.
• This is a new sign of confidence in Mariscal Sucre International Airport.
• The route will be operated with a larger aircraft equipped with more comfortable cabins.

Quito, November 23, 2016. As of March 26, 2017, Iberia, Spain’s flagship airline, will fly non-stop between Quito and Madrid six times a week, noticeably improving the connectivity between the capital cities of these two countries.

In a communication sent on November 23, the Spanish airline stated that it will operate six non-stop flights a week, every day except Wednesdays, making it the only company to offer non-stop flights between Quito and Europe in both directions. In future, Iberia will analyze the option of increasing its service to seven flights per week.

Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Corporación Quiport, concessionaire of Mariscal Sucre International Airport, stated “we are very happy since this announcement is very significant for tourism and business travel in the city of Quito. Iberia’s decision is a great vote of confidence for Quito Airport, which stands out in the region not only for its infrastructure, but for the quality of its services”.

Quito increases its connectivity

Corporación Quiport has always shown its willingness for airlines such as Iberia to increase their offer and, this way, improve connections with Quito. “The conditions of the airport and the importance of Quito as a destination in the region have been decisive factors in this important decision by Iberia”, said Andrew O’Brian.

On October 28, 2013, Iberia started its non-stop flights to Madrid from Mariscal Sucre Airport, Quito with three flights per week, and three years later it has announced that it will double the number of flights.

“This new scheduling will considerably reduce the flight time and improves connections via Madrid to almost 100 destinations in Iberia’s network in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East”, according to a statement from the airline.

More capacity and comfort

The airline will operate the flights using its largest aircraft, the Airbus A340/600, with capacity for 346 passengers: 46 in Business and 300 in Economy. Iberia emphasized that it will offer almost 220,000 seats per year on the route, which involves a 22% increase in its offer in total and a 28% increase in the Business segment.

These aircraft are also equipped with Iberia’s new Business and Economy class cabins which offer greater comfort to passengers, a varied entertainment menu and in-flight WiFi.

About Corporación Quiport S.A.

Corporación Quiport is the company in charge of the administration, operation and maintenance of Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador. Quiport is formed by important companies with vast experience in the concession and operation of airports: CCR from Brazil, Odinsa S.A. from Colombia and HAS Development Corporation (HAS-DC) from the USA.

Quito International Airport played an important role in the success of Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. The agility with which passengers were attended to, added to the friendliness and efficiency of all the persons, companies and institutions that provide services at the airport, were key factors in projecting an excellent image of the country to the thousands of visitors who arrived in Quito.

This is shown by the numerous positive comments received from authorities, special visitors and participants of the conference, who highlighted the comfort of the airport facilities and excellent service.

In order to rise to the challenge posed by Habitat III, Corporación Quiport carried out a series of improvements and special coordination to ensure that Mariscal Sucre International Airport was completely prepared, in this way contributing to the improved image of the city during this significant event for Quito, which showed itself at its best to the world.

Thanks to the opening of the new domestic terminal in May 2015, we were able to optimize and adapt spaces to ensure more spaciousness and comfort at the international terminal.

We have made the following changes to the freed spaces:

• Additional areas in the Immigration Hall at Arrivals, Baggage Claim and Customs.
• Anti-Narcotics Control Room.
• Re-location of the Arrivals Duty Free Shop.
• New A8 Departure Lounge accommodating 150 passengers.
• New Protocol Room.
• New room for non-admitted passengers.

Furthermore, we have worked to install a fifth baggage carousel to improve efficiency in the delivery of baggage and at Customs. We are replacing the internal lighting of the terminal and the aprons with LED lights which will significantly reduce energy consumption, having a positive impact on the reduction of the airport´s Carbon Footprint.

“We have worked not only on optimizing spaces and services, but also on landscaping. At the exit of the airport´s passenger terminal, we have installed a linear water fountain with night lighting. Behind this fountain is a garden mounted on three levels, in the style of terraces, which display various species of ornamental plants” states Andrew O´Brian, President and CEO of Corporación Quiport, concessionaire of the city´s airport service.

Precise Coordination

In addition to infrastructure and services, coordination to maintain the safety and efficiency of operations is very important. Thanks to joint efforts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation and Empresa Pública Metropolitana de Servicios Aeroportuarios, an organized operation was executed in order to handle Habitat participants without affecting the airport´s regular passengers.

“On this occasion we received 11 heads of state from various parts of the world, as well as the highest authorities of bodies of the United Nations system, headed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. But our team is very professional and experienced; remember that we have carried out special operations for the visit of Pope Francis and a Summit of Presidents of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)”, explains Andrew O’Brian.

All these experiences have allowed Mariscal Sucre Airport to continue positioning itself as one of the principal airports in the region, placing Quito in a confident position regarding the excellence of its airport service.