Quito can return to handling 50% of its airline traffic from August 1

Quito International Airport has been given the green light for air traffic to return to 50% of its pre-COVID-19 levels from August 1 after successfully proving the effectiveness of its coronavirus prevention measures to Ecuador’s National Emergency Operations Committee (COE).

The airport has had permission to handle up to 30% of its usual airline frequencies since June 1 and operator, Quiport, considers the move to be the next step in the recovery of the country’s air transport system.

Allan Padilla, Quiport’s director of operations, says: “This is the result of the successful application of the sanitary protection measures and security protocols that are carried out in the airports of the country and, in particular, at Quito International Airport.

“We have been working in hand with the authorities of the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, the Municipality of Quito, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation and our airline partners so that the National COE can take this decision.”

He notes that several airlines have reported a surge in demand to Quito since operations resumed on June 1, and that the new would be welcomed by them in particular.

Padilla concludes: “We have to move towards the recovery of air transport, which is one of the pillars on which the economic development of the city and the country is founded upon. A robust connectivity network will allow us to contribute to the recovery of business and tourism.

“We are also working with the Ecuadorian government to establish a measure to replace compulsory preventive isolation (APO, in Spanish) for people who may arrive in the country with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, while maintaining security.”