The passenger air business starts with high expectations in 2024, after the demand for international air tickets increased by 40% in 2023 with the reduction of the rate of Eco Delta and 5% of the reduction of the rate of Ecuador Potencia Turística, according to data from the travel agency.

This year, a new line will be included that includes the arrival of a new airline in the country and two more that announce an increase in frequencies, the Ministry of Tourism stated. The airline that will land in Ecuador in 2024 will be Jetsmart Airlines, which will start flying in the country next March with the opening of the Lima-Quito-Lima route with three weekly frequencies. A Lima-Guayaquil-Lima route with three weekly frequencies will also be added in April.

Jetsmart will fly in Ecuador from March 2024

Jetsmart promotes the model low price with prices that want to be low, that give the right to travel with a small bag and pay extra only for the service that needs to be added. This is an airline created by Indigo Partners, a private equity fund with over 20 years of experience in developing ultra airlines. low price Worldwide.

Jetsmart has domestic routes in Argentina and Chile, as well as various routes in South America, and since 2017 has been operating on international routes to Peru. In the neighboring country, there are domestic lines to Arequipa, Chiclayo, Cajamarca, Cusco, Piura, Tarapoto and Trujillo.

Meanwhile, Panama’s Copa Airlines will increase the frequency of trips from Ecuador to Panama from three to four times a week on the Panama-Manta-Panama route, starting next March.

Meanwhile, from June 2024, Spain’s Iberia will also increase its weekly frequencies, from three to five, on its Madrid-Guayaquil-Madrid route.

For Holbach Muñeton, president of the National Federation of Provincial Tourist Chambers of Ecuador (Fenacaptur), opening new routes and increasing frequency in Ecuador benefits tourism and could be a decisive factor in promoting event tourism in the future. and conventions.

“That will be a fundamental factor, crucial to success, because whoever comes to the convention and wants to come on Tuesday, wants to leave on Tuesday night, but we add that if you have a flight during the week, they will not come because they will have to wait.” and lose a few days,” explained the tourism expert and hotelier.

He reiterated the need to form a center international airlines to Guayaquil and Quito, with new airlines that could come to the country. He highlighted the advantages of direct flights like other countries in the region such as Peru, Colombia and Panama. “How do we connect with the world? It is based on air connectivity, greater connectivity in the country means greater ease for people to come to events, conventions, concerts and football matches,” projected the leader.

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He also analyzed that the arrival of new routes and more frequencies is driven by demand and highlighted the growth of interest in the Manta-Panama route operated by Copa Airlines. “Who would have imagined that Manta-Panama would increase another frequency, why? Because the reception it had was extraordinary,” said Muñeton. He added that one of the reasons for the growth in demand for this route is that many Ecuadorians will be exploring new jobs in the Central American country.

Muñeton sees as a challenge for the national aeronautical sector the achievement of the highest number of direct routes to Ecuador in 2024. Another challenge for the business is the increase in domestic flights, said Muñeton, who was concerned about the departure of local airlines in 2023. “What happened to Equair, why did it leave, what was the problem that when the airlines come again they don’t have the same problem, we urgently need to see what the shortcomings are, why there are no more national airlines, because national connectivity is as important as international.”

Equair started operating in December 2021, but left the market last September.

According to the website of the Civil Aviation Authority, there are four airlines operating in Ecuador, but it still includes Equair, for domestic flights, according to the last update of that information in August 2023:

While 18 airlines operate in the country for international flights:

How much have the prices of Eco Delta and Ecuador Potencia Turística fallen?

As of June 1, 2023, Eco Delta (ED) and Tourist Power (PT) rates have been reduced to make the Ecuadorian market more competitive. Discounts apply to international tickets at airports that operate these flights abroad.

Outbound ticket sales from Ecuador rise up to 40% after price cuts, but uncertainty affects travel to the country

The Eco Delta tax, which applies to Ecuadorians traveling abroad, corresponds to 5% of the cost of the net service rate, with a maximum ceiling of US$50. For example, if the net value, before taxes, of the ticket is $100, the ED fee would be $5.

While the tourist power rate, which applies to foreigners traveling to Ecuador, is 5% of the net value of the airline ticket, before tax, with a maximum cap of US$10. In this case, for example, a service cost of $100 would have a PT rate of $5. (AND)