Quito International Airport

Often referred to as Quito Airport, Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) is Ecuador’s busiest air hub, handling six million passengers per year. Over 20 carriers service the terminal, including flagship airlines TAME, which connects Quito to cities such as Bogota and Cali (Colombia), Caracas (Venezuela), Lima (Peru), and Panama City (Panama), as well as other domestic airports. LAN and American Airlines fly to Miami, while Avianca has a seasonal link to Orlando.

Terminal A is for domestic travel, while Terminal B is solely for international flights. Both have shops, banks and cafés, and Terminal B has a duty-free store. The best place to catch a cab is from the Terminal A Arrivals area, which allows only airport-contracted and registered taxis to operate. Tour buses and shuttles can also provide transportation to the city.

José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport

José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) is Ecuador’s second busiest airport, handling just over four million passengers to the port city of Guayaquil and Guayas province every year. 15 carriers serve the airport, including LAN Ecuador, which flies to Buenos Aires (Argentina), Madrid (Spain), New York (US), and Santiago (Chile). Avianca Ecuador flies to Lima (Peru), as well as Bogota, Calim and Medellin (Colombia). American Airlines operates the main US route to Miami.

Airport facilities include ATMs, public phones, free Wi-Fi, a VIP lounge, shops, duty free, cafés, newsagents, and car rental desks. The airport is located three miles north of Guayaquil, which can be reached using taxis that are marked Cooperativa de Taxis Aeropuerto, but negotiate the fare first. There are also buses, airport shuttles, and private cars offering transfers from the airport.

Galapagos Islands Airports

Overseas travelers to the Galapagos Islands will need to connect through one of the international airports at Quito or Guayaquil. There are two domestic airports in the Galapagos, Seymour Airport (GPS) on Baltra and San Cristóbal Airport (SCY) on San Cristobal Island. TMAE, Avianca and LAN Ecuador all regularly have connections to both. TAME also flies between San Cristobal and Baltra.

Other Airports

Ecuador has a network of several other international and domestic airports to get anywhere you want to go. Mariscal Lamar International Airport (CUE) serves Cuenca city in Azuay province. Manabi province has Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) at Manta and Reales Tamarindos Airport (PVO) at Puerto Viejo. General Ulpiano Paez Airport (SNC) is near Salinas in Santa Elena province and Teniente Coronel Luis A Mantilla International Airport (TUA) serves Tulcan in Carchi.