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• 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.

• LATAM will offer approximately 72,000 seats per year on this route, increasing capacity between Ecuador and Chile by more than 62%.
• The route will be served by an Airbus 320neo, an aircraft that incorporates new-generation technology for a more efficient, sustainable flight and improved environmental performance.

Today, LATAM Airlines announced that it will boost connectivity between Chile and Ecuador with a new direct route connecting Santiago and Quito. The flight will be served by one of the most modern and efficient aircraft in the global aviation industry, the Airbus 320neo with a capacity for 174 passengers.

Flights will begin on April 1, 2019 with four weekly services on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight LA548 will depart from Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in Santiago de Chile at 06:00, arriving in Quito at 09:00. The return flight LA549 will depart at 09:55 from Mariscal Sucre International Airport and will arrive in Santiago at 16:55.

“Through connectivity, the aviation industry is a major driver of economic and social development in our region. As a genuinely Latin American airline, we have a strong commitment to our passengers to offer them the best network of connections in the region. This is precisely what we are achieving with the direct route between Quito and Santiago, as well as reducing the flight time between these two cities and opening up new possibilities for tourism and trade” commented Daniel Leng, CEO of LATAM Airlines Ecuador.

To celebrate this announcement and the forthcoming start of operations, LATAM Airlines Ecuador and Corporación Quiport, concessionaire of the Mariscal Sucre Airport, organized an event which brought together the main aviation authorities of Ecuador.

Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Corporación Quiport, congratulated LATAM Airlines on this new flight and added: “the new direct flight between Santiago and Quito, operated by LATAM, is a demonstration of the airline’s trust in the city as a destination and in the airport. It will undoubtedly increase the connectivity of the Ecuadorian capital with more cities in Latin America and will help to promote tourism and business between both cities which historically have had close ties”.

This will be the second direct flight operated by LATAM Airlines between Chile and Ecuador. The company currently has daily services between Guayaquil and Santiago; with the new offering, LATAM will increase its capacity by 62%, equivalent to 72,500 additional seats per year.

About Airbus A320neo

LATAM Airlines Group was the first operator in the Americas to add the Airbus A320neo to its fleet. LATAM received the first aircraft in 2016 and currently has four, one of which will serve the new direct Santiago – Quito – Santiago route.

Daniel Leng, CEO of LATAM Airlines Ecuador, emphasizes that the company will become the first airline in Ecuador to operate a regular service using this type of aircraft.

“The Airbus 320neo is distinguished by its excellent environmental performance. The aircraft has new-generation engines and Sharklet wingtip devices, which together allow us to guarantee a more efficient flight, reducing noise by up to 50% and saving 5,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year” Daniel adds.

• Corporación Quiport, the Ministry of Culture of Brazil and the CCR Institute were pleased to present the Brazilian pianist Simone Leitão in Quito as part of her international tour.

On Friday, October 19th, the Ministry of Culture of Brazil, the CCR Institute and Corporación Quiport were pleased to present the Brazilian pianist Simone Leitão at Casa de la Música as part of her international tour. The repertoire included works by Bach-Busoni, Rachmaninoff and brazilian Villa-Lobos and Mehmari in a free concert.

More than 500 people enjoyed Leitão’s virtuoso performance and her interpretation of works such as Bach’s Chaconne in D minor, Grande Baião de Concerto by Mehmari, Ciclo Brasileiro by Villa-Lobos and Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor by Rachmaninoff.

As well as Quito, Ecuador, concerts will be held internationally in locations including Curaçao; Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York in the USA; Salvador, Brazil; and San José, Costa Rica.

The director of CCR Institute, Marina Mattaraia, reinforced the importance of promoting this kind of activity: “the support given to the International Tour will have a special meaning for the CCR Institute. In addition to supporting a Brazilian artist, the initiative will provide access to the culture of classical music abroad, where there are also companies of the CCR Group”.

Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Corporación Quiport (a company belonging to CCR Group), explained the reasons for sponsoring this event. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to promote high-quality cultural activities in Quito. We have been greatly looking forward to hearing Simone Leitão interpret exceptional pieces of universal classical music. We are proud that Quito has been included as one of the cities on the International Tour.”

The Ambassador of Brazil in Ecuador, Carlos Alfredo Lazary Teixeira stated that “it is a huge pleasure to be involved in Simone Leitão’s first performance in the country, locally supporting an event organized by the Ministry of Culture of Brazil and other institutions, in particular CCR Institute and Quiport. We are very pleased that Simone Leitão’s, as a renowned pianist, has included Quito in her tour and that once again a Brazilian artist has taken the stage at Casa de la Música.”

The pianist was born in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, and achieved international renown through performances in Brazil, Europe, Asia and America. She holds a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) in piano performance and musicology from the University of Miami, and a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Simone is a curious and versatile artist who believes in the power of concert music as a universal language and a strong bridge of communication between diverse peoples and cultures.