Jose Joaquin De Olmedo International Airport
The airport was named after José Joaquín de Olmedo, a notable Ecuadorian poet, first mayor of Guayaquil, and former president of Ecuador. It was changed from Simón Bolívar International Airport, which is currently the name of the airports in Caracas, Venezuela, and Santa Marta, Colombia.
The airport is on the Avenida de las Américas, 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of Guayaquil's centre. The runway length of 2,790 metres (9,154 ft) includes a 240 metres (787 ft) displaced threshold on Runway 21 and a 100 metres (328 ft) displaced threshold on Runway 03. The runway can accommodate Boeing 747 and Airbus A340-600 aircraft. The airport is in the broad delta of the Guayas River, with level terrain in all quadrants.
In July 2014, the airport domestic area was enlarged; now the airport is capable of handling up to 7.5 million passengers per year. An exit tax is levied on all international tickets, however, it is no longer required to pay at the window when exiting the country.
History
The airport, which had the newest terminal in Ecuador, was renamed for José Joaquín de Olmedo in 2006, in preparation for the inauguration of the new 50,000 m (540,000 sq ft) national and international terminal on 27 July 2006. Although there was an inaugural flight on 28 July 2006, most airlines did not operate completely from the new terminal until August 2006. After that date, the old terminal was closed and it was later turned into a convention center.
The construction of the new terminal and expansion of the runway was finally decided in 2003–2004, years after making the decision that the current infrastructure was not sufficient to cover the city's needs, but that it was not yet commercially viable to build an entirely new airport in the Daular area.
The original project in 2003–2004 contemplated the construction of a 28,000 m (300,000 sq ft) international terminal and the continuing operation of the old terminal, which would be left to handle only domestic flights. However, it was later decided that the newer 50,000 m (540,000 sq ft) terminal would handle both national and international traffic, and the older terminal would be closed.
The airport is planned to serve the city of Guayaquil for 10 to 15 years starting in 2006. After this, it is expected to reach a capacity of 5 million passengers a year, and when this happens a new airport will be built in the Daular area, some 20 kilometers outside the city, near the highway that connects Guayaquil to Salinas and other coastal towns.
José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport was named "Best Airport in Latin America 2008 & 2009" by BusinessWeek and the second best in 2011. All domestic flights going from the Ecuadorian mainland to the Galápagos Islands make a stop in Guayaquil to refuel and pick up passengers due to its location, which is the closest point in Ecuador to the islands.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Europa | Madrid |
American Airlines | Miami |
Arajet | Punta Cana |
Avianca Costa Rica | Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, San José (CR) |
Avianca Ecuador | Baltra, Bogotá, Cartagena (begins December 17, 2024), Medellín–JMC (resumes December 16, 2024), New York–JFK, Quito, San Cristóbal |
Avianca El Salvador | San Salvador |
Copa Airlines | Panama City–Tocumen |
Iberia | Madrid |
JetBlue | Fort Lauderdale (ends January 6, 2025), New York–JFK |
JetSmart Perú | Lima |
KLM | Amsterdam |
LATAM Ecuador | Baltra, Cuenca, Lima, Quito, San Cristóbal, Santiago de Chile |
LATAM Perú | Lima |
Spirit Airlines | Fort Lauderdale |
Cargo
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Avianca Cargo | Quito |
DHL Ecuador | Panama City–Tocumen, Quito |
LATAM Cargo Ecuador | Miami |
UPS Airlines | Miami |
Statistics
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Rank | Change | City | Passengers | % Change | Top carriers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Panama City, Panama | 420.244 | 5,53% | Copa Airlines | |
2 | Bogotá, Colombia | 267.958 | 12,81% | Avianca Ecuador | |
3 | Miami, United States | 232.521 | 1,35% | American Airlines | |
4 | Lima, Peru | 178.191 | -7,53% | Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Ecuador | |
5 | New York-JFK, United States | 161.076 | -13,38% | Eastern Airlines, JetBlue | |
6 | Madrid, Spain | 133.062 | -20,18% | Air Europa, Iberia | |
7 | 2 | Fort Lauderdale, United States | 118.050 | 130,34% | JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines |
8 | 1 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 102.733 | 3,65% | KLM |
9 | 1 | Santiago, Chile | 101.293 | 4,52% | LATAM Ecuador |
10 | San Salvador, El Salvador | 60.378 | 19,19% | Avianca El Salvador | |
11 | Cali, Colombia | 58.571 | 41,66% | Avianca Ecuador | |
12 | Barcelona, Venezuela | 21.942 | -50,13% | Avior Airlines | |
13 | New | Caracas, Venezuela | 19.409 | New | Avior Airlines |
Rank | Change | City | Passengers | % Change | Top carriers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Quito, Pichincha | 1,512,209 | 6,42% | Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Ecuador, TAME | |
2 | Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands | 229.034 | 2,28% | Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Ecuador, TAME | |
3 | San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands | 102.745 | 10,96% | Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Ecuador, TAME | |
4 | Loja, Loja | 7.590 | -51,49% | TAME | |
5 | Cuenca, Azuay | 2.180 | -67,36% | TAME |
Accolades
- 2011 – 2nd Best Airport in Latin America – Caribbean of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International and Best Airport by Size in the 2 to 5 million passenger category.
Accidents and Incidents
- On April 29, 1983, SAN Flight 832, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HC-BAJ) crashed near the southern end of the airport's runway after attempting to execute an emergency landing. The plane had suffered a engine failure shortly after taking off from Guayaquil on a flight to Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport, and the crew was returning to the airport. However, the second engine failed while overflying the city during the return, and, being barely airborne, the plane stalled just as it approached the airport. Cap. Germán Cruz crash-landed the plane in a muddy puddle, produced by recent El Niño rains near the end of the runway, with the fuselage breaking in three parts but without causing a fire. The accident killed 8 of the 100 people on board and injured several others, but the fact that puddle served as a form of cushion helped avoid more fatalities. The pilot had previously reported engine issues and had tested the plane the previous day, after which it was subjected to maintenance and was later reported as fit to fly shortly before the ill-fated flight.
See also
References
- ^ "Aeropuerto de Guayaquil". www.tagsa.aero. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010.
- ^ Airport information for SEGU from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
- ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps.
- ^ Airport information for Olmedo International Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ "Ecuador, Airport Exit Tax To Be Included in Purchase of Ticket". Latin America Current Events & News. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ^ "Timetable". Guayaquil Airport. 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ^ "The World's Best Airports 2009". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 2009. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "ASQ Award for Best Airport in Latin America – Caribbean" Archived 18 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Airports Council International. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012
- ^ "Arajet NW24 Network Changes – 16SEP24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "Avianca anuncia y pone a la venta una nueva ruta internacional". 8 August 2024.
- ^ Delguy, Juan (2 September 2024). "Avianca anuncia la salida a la venta de dos rutas internacionales".
- ^ Delguy, Juan (13 August 2024). "Avianca ha anunciado la apertura de dos nuevas rutas internacionales".
- ^ "JetBlue NW24 Network Changes – 24JUL24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "JetSMART Peru Schedules Ecuador Launch in 1H24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "LATAM Ecuador to Resume Guayaquil – Cuenca Route in 3Q22". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ Censos, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y. "Transporte". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ "ASQ Award for Best Airport by Size (2–5m)" Airports Council International. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. 19830429-0. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
- ^ "SAN 832: dos motores defectuosos, la amenaza sobre Guayaquil y ocho muertes que pudieron ser muchas más". 13 May 2023.
External links
Media related to José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport at OurAirports
- Aeronautical chart and airport information for Guayaquil/Jose J De Olmedo Airport at SkyVector
- Current weather for Guayaquil / Simon Bolivar at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for Guayaquil-Simon Bolivar Airport at Aviation Safety Network
- Autoridad Aeroportuaria de Guayaquil (in Spanish)
- Accommodations near the airport in Guayaquil (in Spanish)