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• On the eve of the anniversary of operations at Quito International Airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation renews Quiport’s Aerodrome Certification, which is valid for 5 years.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) is the aviation authority than plans, manages and controls air operations in Ecuadorian air space. This entity has issued the renewed Aerodrome Certification of Mariscal Sucre International Airport to Corporación Quiport, the concessionaire of Quito’s airport service.

The certification guarantees that the airport and Corporación Quiport, as the entity in charge of its management and operation, meet the specifications issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and DGAC relating to facilities and operating procedures.

The Aerodrome Certification is valid for five years and approves the Aerodrome Manual, a document that contains the technical specifications for operating procedures; construction and maintenance; infrastructure; Safety Management Systems; Rescue and Fire Fighting Service; Emergency Plan and the Wildlife Management and Control Plan of Quito Airport.

Compliance with the Aerodrome Manual, endorsed by the aviation authority through its Aerodrome Certification, guarantees the safety, regularity and efficiency of airport operations and aims to raise the standards of safety and competitiveness at Quito Airport.

Upon delivering the Aerodrome Certification, Patricio Zavala, director of DGAC, said: “the renewal of the Aerodrome Certification translates into a commitment to greater aviation technology and air safety in Ecuador. The aim of our work is for all airports to improve their safety standards and to achieve worldwide recognition of the country.”

Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Quiport said: “we must emphasize that thanks to the coordinated work between the aviation authority and Quiport, we have not had any type of incident at Quito Airport. Our airport is safe and well-run thanks to the efforts of the more than 8,300 people who work here; including the staff at Customs, Immigration, DGAG, airlines and many more.”

The committed work by the staff at Quiport’s Operations and Maintenance Department, especially its Aviation Safety and Certification Management, and by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ensures that operations at Quito Airport not only meet the country’s legal requirements and the parameters of the Civil Aviation Organization, but exceed them.

Corporación Quiport signed an agreement with the Antigua and Barbuda Airport to exchange information, knowledge and experience on airport management allowing to strengthen professional ties, share best practices, and create opportunities for commercial development.

The areas of cooperation include issues such as security, operations, maintenance, commercial development, route development, infrastructure, information systems, customer service management, the environment, and energy efficiency.

“I am confident that this agreement will allow us to be better prepared to face the future of our airports for the benefit of our countries”, said Andrew O’Brian, Quiport President and Director General.

• With avant-garde decoration and a design focused on our passengers’ comfort, the remodeled Domestic VIP Lounge of the Quito International Airport was inaugurated on Tuesday, January 22.

The Domestic VIP Lounge remodeling project commissioned by Corporacion Quiport was directed by Adriana Hoys Design Studio and implemented by Octofast, resulting in aesthetic elegance, 12% increased capacity, and doubtless, better experiences for the Mariscal Sucre International Airport passengers.

More than 11,400 passengers attend the Domestic VIP Lounge every month and enjoy the services offered by its renewed image with a new atmosphere, a varied gastronomic menu, free WiFi, cable television and reading material.

Andrew O’Brian, President and Director General of Corporacion Quiport, concessionaire of Quito airport services, said that “the new Domestic VIP Lounge in the Quito Mariscal Sucre Airport is added to the airport’s offer of quality services. One of our most longed for goals in 2019 was to expand and to remodel the Domestic VIP Lounge of the Quito Airport.”

The renewed Domestic VIP Lounge together with the International VIP Lounge offer distinguished and unequaled services to domestic and international passengers of the Quito International Airport.

• Quito Airport’s latest commercial store, Quri, was opened in an intimate ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Quito International Airport has opened Quri, an experience store —a new concept in retailing that invites customers to explore and touch products with their own hands and submerge themselves in the experience—at international departures in the passenger terminal building.

Quri, which means gold in Quechua, provides a local feel with its decoration and aesthetic, offering a sense of belonging that enhances the sense of warmth and familiarity at the terminal for all those who have traversed the streets of Quito and Ecuador’s landscapes.

Quri offers a varied selection of artisanal products with high-quality finishes including jewelry, clothes made with native Ecuadorian designs and materials, foods and premium products such as fine chocolates and a wide variety of coffees.

This new store increases the commercial offering by Travel Stores S.A., which also operates the Ecuador Travel Stores and The Legendary Hat Company at Quito Airport, presenting products with an artisanal and artistic sensibility.

The inauguration of the store was celebrated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by officials of Corporación Quiport and passengers. Afterwards, Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Quiport, said “I invite all of the international passengers here at Quito Airport to explore Quri, to enjoy its products and discover the Ecuadorian stories behind each detail.”

• This project aims to offer passengers a gratifying experience, but also seeks to support local talent in all its forms of artistic expression.

The AerogaleríasUIO Project has had a great start with two exhibitions at the passenger terminal of Mariscal Sucre International Airport. This is an initiative by Corporación Quiport to bring together an assortment of artistic expression for the passengers and users who pass through the airport.

An exhibition called My place, your place: Ecuador is on display in departure lounge B1, showcasing photography by members and students of the Centro de la Imagen Arte y Fotografía in Quito. The photographs feature a collection of landscapes, details and portraits of Ecuador using a variety of techniques, creating an enriching experience for viewers.

In the domestic arrivals area, we present the work of Bakker, an Ecuadorian artist whose work has been exhibited in galleries in the USA, Europe and Ecuador.

Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Quiport, explains that this type of project is becoming more common in airports around the world. “Passengers expect the airport to offer quick services, comfort, an attractive commercial offering and a good food & beverage service. Since Mariscal Sucre Airport opened in 2013, at Corporación Quiport we have worked to ensure that the airport runs smoothly, and today our service standards are among the highest in the region and the world”.

Which is when, O’Brian continues, the challenge begins to find an extra factor that turns a positive experience into an unforgettable one thanks to unique, extraordinary or simply novel details.

This is precisely the aim of AerogaleríasUIO, a project conceived not just to improve the passenger experience but to support all forms of local artistic talent.

• Starting on the 27th of December, Brazilian airline GOL will arrive in Ecuador offering non-stop flights between Sao Paulo and Quito. The airline will be the only one operating between the two countries without stopovers.

GOL will operate three weekly flights between Brazil and Ecuador on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, leaving Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport at 19:35 (local time) and arriving at Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport at 22:30 (local time). From Quito, flights will leave at 23:30 (local time) and arrive at Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport at 08:20 the following day (Sao Paulo time).

The arrival of this new airline is the result of efforts by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism (Mintur), the Municipality of Quito and Corporación Quiport, as the concessionaire of Mariscal Sucre Airport.

Álvaro Maldonado, Secretary for Development and Competitiveness at Quito Municipality, emphasized that “this new destination connects us more efficiently to one of the most important and promising destinations and markets in the region and the world. There is no doubt that better connectivity means more tourism, more business and more competitiveness. We welcome GOL to Quito! Its presence will add value to our airport and the city”.

The Vice President of Sales and Marketing at GOL, Eduardo Bernardes, stated “we are very pleased to be the only airline operating direct flights from Brazil to Ecuador’s capital. Our new flights to Quito are part of our international expansion strategy. This is the 13th GOL destination outside Brazil that we will operate”.

For the Ecuadorian Minister of Tourism, Rosi Prado de Holguín, the addition of this important airline connects two countries that have a lot to share when it comes to tourism. “We appreciate the confidence in our country and we are certain that it will be a very successful operation. We are absolutely willing to create joint promotion strategies, raising Ecuador’s profile in Brazil as a destination thanks to this new route”, said Holguín.

For Andrew O’Brian, Corporación Quiport’s President and CEO, the addition of GOL’s operations represents a significant leap in connectivity for the city and country. “A fundamental pillar of our administration is the development of connectivity. For this reason, we have spent the last three years working with GOL to bring it to Quito, and thanks to the joint efforts of the government, Quito Municipality and Quiport we were able to seal the deal to start non-stop flights as of December 27th” said O’Brian.

The routes to Mariscal Sucre International Airport will be served by the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, equipped with the latest technology. Customers will be able to enjoy all the comforts already offered by the airline, such as on-board Internet and entertainment, leather seats, more space between seats and a complimentary on-board food and beverage service.

• This number has been reached 5 years and 9 months after the airport opened in February 2013.
• The 30 millionth passenger is Ecuadorian and was returning to Quito from Guayaquil.

We have now seen 30 million passengers pass through Mariscal Sucre Airport since it began operations on February 20, 2013. This afternoon, on Avianca flight 1633 which landed at 14:30 from Guayaquil, we received our 30 millionth passenger, Ximena Zamora.

She arrived amid much fanfare and was the key guest at a celebration held in her honor, where Corporación Quiport gifted her a membership to the airport’s VIP Experience (access to VIP Lounges and fast track service) as well as a box with products from our Nuestra Huerta community project, one of Corporación Quiport’s main corporate social responsibility programs.

Allan Padilla, Director of Operations at Quiport, congratulated the lucky passenger and gave her a certificate to remember this special occasion.

Ximena Zamora was surprised to find out she was our 30 millionth passenger. “It is an honor to be part of this celebration and it has been a very pleasant surprise. It is good to see the airport is well-managed, you are an example for Latin America and the world” she said while thanking Quiport for the surprise.

Allan Padilla declared “we are proud that after nearly six years of operations we now celebrate our 30 millionth passenger at Quito Airport, which has been recognized as South America’s Leading Airport for a fifth time and as a 4-Star airport for the third consecutive time by Skytrax”.

He also mentioned that thanks to the growth in passenger traffic seen at the airport, new expansion works and improvements are being carried out to provide a service that exceeds the expectations of our users and passengers at Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport.

• Some 15 private companies connected to the aviation industry have pooled their environmental management experiences and commitments to create the first cluster to optimize their processes. Their aim is to reduce their carbon footprint and consolidate a sector that grows while respecting the planet. These efforts have been recognized by Airports Council International (ACI) which awarded Level III Optimization certification to Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito (MSIA) for promoting this initiative.

Improve aircraft operating procedures, gradually replace conventional lighting with LED technology, use the least amount of packaging in export cargo processes, make use of recyclable materials, construct and operate wastewater treatment plants; all of these are among the commitments agreed by 15 private companies and Corporación Quiport, the entity that manages the capital’s airport and which last week was awarded Level III Certification of the Airport Carbon Accreditation program by Airports Council International.

“Our commitment to Quito and Ecuador is to offer an airport with efficient operations and sustainable development. The magnitude of climate change is such that individual actions to mitigate impacts must be expanded to include far-reaching movements to achieve a notable influence” says Andrew O’ Brian, President and CEO of Corporación Quiport. “To achieve this goal, the airport and the 15 companies that have joined the shared purpose will invest approximately USD 500,000 to be used to perform specific commitments” he explains.

According to ACI Latin America, 16 airports are part of its Airport Carbon Accreditation program. Of these, Mariscal Sucre Airport is the second after the Galapagos to obtain Level III Optimisation which involves including other industry stakeholders in efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. The first cluster (group of interconnected companies in a particular industrial sector who collaborate strategically to obtain common benefits) has been created around the airport with the aim of developing joint and powerful actions to halt climate change.

To obtain this recognition, MSIA first passed Level I which required carbon footprint measurement and Level II which is focused on reduction. The goal now is to reach Level IV – Neutrality which requires neutralizing remaining direct carbon emissions by offsetting.

According to Quiport’s data, during Level III certification, the Airport’s carbon footprint has been reduced by 4%, meaning that in the past year 819 tons of emissions have been saved.

The specific commitments of the members of the cluster are varied. For example, LATAM and Tame will work to improve their aircrafts’ operating procedures and route monitoring systems. Avianca has agreed to gradually replace its lighting with LED technology. Servipallet (air cargo pallet service), Petroamazonas Hangar, Swissport EMSA, Meramexair, DK Terra and Pertral (pallet services) have also set themselves this objective.

Goddard Catering Group, in charge of preparing on-board meals, has set a goal to build and operate a wastewater treatment plant and KFC Group will continue its campaign to reduce plastic and encourage proper waste management. Hotel Wyndham aims to use solar panels to provide hot water at its facilities and Novacargo will install motion sensor lights in it its service areas.

This way, the region’s best airport is paying attention to global changes and offers innovative solutions to help improve the quality of life of Quito’s residents and Ecuadorians.

• Andrew O´Brian’s election took place at the 27th Annual Assembly of the Airports Council International – Latin America and the Caribbean.
• This is a new show of Quito’s and its airport’s leadership and the trust placed in Corporación Quiport´s work.
• ACI-LAC represents 270 airports from Latin America and the Caribbean that transport 584 million passengers per year and 5.1 million metric tons of cargo.

At midday on November 13, the members of the ACI-LAC General Assembly unanimously voted to elect Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Corporación Quiport, as President of the organization for a two-year term.

Corporación Quiport is honored with the appointment of Mr. O’Brian as President of this important body, representing the interests of more than 270 airports in the Latin American and Caribbean region that together mobilize 584 million passengers annually and handle 5.1 million metric tons of cargo.

In his speech, Andrew O’Brian expressed his enthusiasm to start working with the new Board of Directors that has been formed for the 2019-2020 period, in which the CEOs of 17 regional airports participate, who will lead the organization by the next two years with a strategic vision to strengthen the positioning of the Latin American and Caribbean region as one of the most potential for development on a global scale

“The experience I have gained over my time at ACI-LAC has shown me the importance of having a very solid association of airports that can handle the challenges we face in the industry”, stated Mr. O’Brian, who also invited the representatives of the airports participating in the Assembly to work together to help the organization and the Latin American and Caribbean airport sector reach new heights.

The ACI-LAC 27th Assembly, Conference and Commercial Exhibition, attended by approximately 350 delegates from airports across the region, is being held in Miami, USA from 12 – 14 November.

This gathering is the ideal platform for fostering relationships with leaders and decision makers from airport operators, government and service providers, among other industry stakeholders.

The Airports Council International was founded in 1991 by airport operators across the globe. Its mission is to advance the collective interests of the air transport industry and maximize cooperation between its members.

For purposes of promoting operational safety at the Quito International Airport, Corporacion Quiport – the city’s concessionaire of airport services – organized the seventh Operational Safety Week 2018 at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport.

The symposium was held from Wednesday, November 7, to Friday, November 9, at the Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel. More than 500 members of the Quito airport community attended the meeting to discuss transcendental issues in respect of operational safety and to reflect on best practices relating to every aspect of airport operations.

Important members of Ecuador’s aeronautical industry were present such as Carlos Alvarez-Mantilla, Director General of the Civil Aviation Directorate (“DGAC”), Octavio Perez, Tame’s General Manager, Javier Villalba, Safety Chief for LATAM Ecuador, Allan Padilla, Director of Operations for the Quito Airport, among others.

During his speech at the inauguration ceremony, Carlos Alvarez-Mantilla -the highest aeronautical authority- highlighted operational safety as the backbone of civil aviation, while Mr. Padilla stressed the importance that all companies, workers and institutions operating at the airport should participate in these learning processes, exchange best practices, and reflect about this subject matter.

The 2018 Operational Safety Week was successfully organized with ACI-LAC support (the Airport Council International – Latin America and the Caribbean), an organization that gathers 270 airports in the region.

Among the important activities that took place during the three days are “Lessons about Operational Safety” roundtable with a panel including representatives from the airlines that operate in Quito, ramp services operators, and airport suppliers. Experts in operational safety from the Mexican Pacific Airport Group were present in a video-conference on “Human Factors at Airports” and a speech about fatigue affecting workers and shift work delivered by a doctor who is a specialist in labor issues.

Aviation is one of the safest transportation means, in great measure thanks to the careful and responsible work on operational safety implemented by airport operators, suppliers of ancillary services, and the airports. Continued positive work at the Quito Mariscal Sucre Airport in these aspects is strengthened by events such as this, the interest shown by the airport community, and permanent application of best practices.

Given the importance and success of this initiative, ACI-LAC is planning to repeat this event in other affiliated airports in the region.