Domestic flights in Ecuador transported 41% more passengers in 2021 and start 2022 with a new actor

The Ministry of Transportation reports that 2021 closed with 14 national routes operated by three airlines. Now a fourth is added.

With the start of operations of the equal airline, 2022 is started withA new competitor within the offer of the Ecuadorian domestic market.

The new firm, which furried the skies with flights between Quito, Guayaquil and Galapagos,It will have 40 weekly frequencies between these two cities and seven frequencies to the islands.

Equair enters to compete with three other airlines that already work in Ecuador for the domestic market.

According to data from the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MTOP), these companies areLatam, Avianca and Aeroregional.The three firms, currently, cover the main destinations of the country such as Cuenca, Manta, Quito, Guayaquil, Galapagos and Loja (since January 2022).

During the opening ceremony of the operations of Equair, the head of the MTOP, Marcelo Cabrera, reiterated: "The country's air connectivity is fundamental, which is why we insist on providing the best conditions for the reactivation of this important sector."

In fact, to continue with this objective, the portfolio also announced thatAt least three airlines are in the process of certification to increase the local offerAnd it works to increase the number of national destinations served with regular flights in cities such as Esmeraldas, Lago Agrio, Santa Rosa, among others.

In the country, according to the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC), until the closing of 2021, they were recorded14 operational routes in the national market that were covered by three airlines.

"The increase in competitiveness in the market will allow us to recover connectivity in non -served destinations and increase the offer of seats on routes already served for the benefit of users," said the ministry.

For the president of the Federation of Provincial Chambers of Tourism, Holbach Muñetón, the start of operations of the new airlineIt generates a positive impact on both aerial and tourism industry."When there is a new competitor, prices tend to go down and that generates dynamism," he said.

Muñetón explains that this new actor will allow move more tourists to internal destinations.

For example, he said, a foreign tourist can reach the country and mobilize with lower prices by plane and direct connections. In addition, for the leader, greater interest will be generated by local tourists to visit the cities of Guayaquil, Quito and Galapagos. "Everything will serve to reactivate tourism and it is positive where it is seen," said Muñetón, who added that the tourism sector is still with an occupation of 50 % due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The space left Tame

The operations of the TAME company resulted in a loss of connectivity to certain destinations. The MTOP said that several low demand sites were left without regular air transport service. These wereSanta Rosa, Esmeraldas and Lago Agrio.

In that sense, it was announced thatIt works to generate the conditions for new airlines to enter the market and the connectivity lost by the departure of Tame EP of the Market can be recovered, sustainably and that it does not have an implicit cost for citizens.

Passenger flow

In relation to passenger transport, the perspectives for 2022 areIncrease the number of passengers transported, support domestic connectivity and contribute to internal tourism.

growth was in the order of 20% in dollars and 8% in volume, compared to 2020. Until December, this segment managed to place $18,091 million in different destinations worldwide.Ministro de Turismo, Niels Olsen,He said previously that despite the arrival of visitors it is still far from the figures of 2019, although there was a recovery in the year that ended.

That is reflected in that, until December 2021,The passenger flow grew compared to 2020.The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) registered an increase of 41 % in domestic traffic and 74 % in the international.

Until the end of 2021, 47 companies for the international market operated in 98 routes. (YO)