New “mariscal Sucre International Airport” in Quito Almost Complete

Located 18 kilometers from central Quito in Tababela parish (part of the Metropolitan District of Quito), the new airport measures 10 times the size of the original airport. When the original airport was built in 1960, it was on the northern fringe of the city. In the meantime Quito expanded northward and development surrounded the airport preventing further expansion. The new airport is located at an altitude of 2400 meters (413 fewer than the current airport) and has a longer runway. The new runway measures 4100 meters which is nearly 1000 meters longer than the old one.

The opening of the new airport will be on February 20, 2013 once the highways connecting the airport and central Quito have been finished.  This will provide better comfort and mobility for travellers. 

The new airport being built in Quito is being billed as the most modern one in Latin America. Construction began six years ago (2006).This could completely change the dynamic of the city of Quito. Moving the airport out of town will allow for buildings in town to be raised higher, affecting the property market. New areas of Quito will become popular hot spots, and the actual airport will become el huge Lake Park, where a new Convention Center will be raised.

The new airport will be able to handle 5 million passengers annually. Its larger size and runway also means that larger aircrafts with more distant destinations and increased air traffic can be accommodated. Earlier proposals had been introduced to name the airport Mitad del Mundo International Airport, but in the end, it will be named Mariscal Sucre International Airport just like the original Quito airport.

The complete operational benefits mean airlines will be able to operate much more flights all around the world.  Air connectivity referring to the number of destinations served and the frequency of flights along each of the routes is essential for Quito to maintain its attractiveness as an international business centre as well as its competitiveness on the global economic and tourism stage.