More flights are projected for the second semester in an air market with different rates of recovery

Frequencies in the first year of reactivation do not exceed 50%.

Ecuador completed this month a year since he reactivated his commercial passenger flights in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, which unleashed the worst crisis in the national and international air industry.

And although the country was one of the first to resume their flights, having airports open throughout this year has not been enough for passengers to return immediately. The contraction of the traffic hit the airlines and, therefore, to the terminals of Quito and Guayaquil.

From June 2020 to May 2021, Guayaquil airport mobilized 1′150.142 National and international passengers, which represents 64.07 % less than in the same period of 2019, according to data from the Airports Council International (ACI).

Meanwhile, the capital terminal moved in this same period to 1′151.826 passengers, refer to the figures of the same airport. Its monthly average bordered the 95,985 passengers, which represent 77 % below the average of before the pandemic.

In airports they argue that the routes have been resumed mostly and a good part of the airlines is back, but when the frequency figures are examined, these are still below the pre-Covid-19 levels.

Ezequiel Barrenechea, vice president of Tagsa, concessionaire of the Buenos Aires terminal, argues that in the case of Guayaquil, 50 % of international flights and 35 % of nationals are not yet reached.

The estimates of the ACI and the IATA point to a recovery of the levels that were in 2019 around 2024 or 2025. “Taking that into account we can say that in international flights we are going that path, but perhaps on national flights we see that recovery is slower,” says Barrenechea.

Due to the situation, Tagsa stopped receiving income for $ 60 million and the shareholders had to make contributions for almost $ 30 million to maintain airport operations, according to the manager. In addition, he had to continue with the compromised investments.

The United States is one of the foreign destinations with the best recovery so far in flight reactivation. American airlines have even increased their frequencies in Quito and Guayaquil in this month in the rise of demand.

United, who had repatriation flights in the critical months and resumed his regular service on the Houston-Quito-Houston route in June 2020, currently has more flights.

Since June 4 of this year, the company began operating nine weekly frequencies on that route, which means a 28 % increase in operations compared to the same period of 2019.

Bettina Carvajal, Country Manager Ecuador from United, explains that in the recovery of the routes to the United States there are some factors that affect such as, for example, that this country kept open its borders to and from Latin America, except in exceptional cases.

Additionally, it indicates, the accelerated vaccination process in the United States, which has continued to progress, drives travelers to plan vacation displacements or to visit friends and family.

In this month, American Airlines was another American company that increased a third frequency in Quito and Guayaquil, which increased its seat capacity by 49.6 % in Guayaquil and 48.1 % from the capital. His flights have left in a few days with 80 % of his occupation.

The Panamanian Cup, which has its hub Connection in Panama City and is used by Ecuadorians to reach the United States, it is another line that has recovered its operation in Guayaquil, where it has up to six daily flights.

Other companies have announced plans to increase their flights this second semester. Iberia will increase an additional frequency on its Madrid-Quito-Madrid route between July and August, which will have six weekly flights.

Plus Ultra will resume its triangular flight between Madrid-Quito-Guayaquil since July 10. The first operation will reach the Ecuadorian capital at 06:05 and then to Guayaquil at 09:10.

And the LATAM group plans to incorporate a new route between Bogotá and Guayaquil. Édgar Andrade, commercial manager of Latam Airlines Ecuador, says they hope to have “great reception” with this route, because it will allow passengers to reach Bogotá, and connect with Miami and the network of destinations that operate from Colombia. In addition, he says, "it is an opportunity to reactivate tourism and expand the connectivity of the country."

To attract different passenger segments, the airline designed that route with itineraries that will allow the traveler to go in the morning and return at night.

The look set in Galapagos

Within the domestic market, part of the expectations focus on the flights to the Galapagos Islands, once the vaccination has already covered the population over 18 and since July they will govern new entry requirements.

"The expectations for the second half of the year are high. We expect an important reactivation, especially in the traffic of tourists to Ecuador, especially towards the Galapagos Islands, Baltra and San Cristóbal," says Andrade.

Avianca Ecuador projects to increase its frequencies to the archipelago. David Alemán, director of Avianca for Central and South America, argues that between July and August the frequencies to Galapagos will increase. "We are looking at how foreign operators are already resuming their operations from July and August and we hope that this trend is maintained over the following months," he says.

That destination adds to Aeroregional as a new competitor, as it achieved frequencies that Tame had before.

Jorge Rosillo, Galapagos Ecological Airport Manager, argues that it is aspired to raise the number of passengers in this second semester. "We hope to finish the year at the Ecological Airport of Galapagos (Baltra) with 60 % of the passengers that were handled in 2019," says (i)

Measures at Guayaquil airport

The automobile access restrictions to the Guayaquil air terminal rose. However, the restriction of companions to the airport is maintained in order to avoid the accumulation of passengers when the schedules of different flights come together.

Passenger companions must continue waiting outside the terminal as until now, according to Tagsa.