Ecuador will have a new airline for the domestic market: EquAir, and it will compete with LATAM Airlines and Avianca on the Ecuadorian market.
In the first stage, the airline will run domestic and charter operations. Equair will start operating with two Boeing 737-700s, which will be arriving soon in the country.
According to Gabriela Sommerfeld, Equair’s CEO, this new airline will offer a «fresh and modern way to travel».
From December 20, the new Ecuadorian carrier will cover the route between Quito and Guayaquil (5 daily frequencies), in addition to Galapagos (one daily: 5 to Baltra and 2 to San Cristóbal, every week). The new Ecuadorian carrier hopes to add new destinations in the near future.
The official presentation took place this Tuesday at the Quito Metropolitan Convention Center, located in the Bicentennial Park, where more than 500 guests gathered, including authorities, tourism industry professionals, businessmen, diplomats, and journalists.
The elements related to the corporate image were observed, including the uniforms that the staff will wear, which have a casual-sporty style with white sneakers.
According to eluniverso, the first words were given by Gabriela Sommerfeld, Equair’s CEO, who referred to the historic moment that commercial aviation is experiencing in these times of reactivation.
«This opportunity, a unique moment, allowed a group of businessmen, friends, but especially Ecuadorians, to look at the need that exists in our country to strengthen the connectivity in our skies, in our cities», she declared.
She added that the goal is to support and complement the Ecuadorian State in «its policy of productive development, return that competitiveness in passenger and cargo transportation, in order to strengthen commercial integration».
The Ecuadorian Minister of Tourism, Niels Olsen, indicated: “From day one, improving connectivity has been one of our main priorities. Boosting and improving air connectivity in our country is a very important step to attract tourists and continue to build the country of opportunities that we all want”.
Equair does not have yet a website where customers can purchase airline tickets; however, it is expected that it will be launched in the next days.
Equair’s entry into the Ecuadorian market is set after Tame’s exit from the domestic market after almost sixty years, leaving a gap in the supply that was not felt last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the reactivation it will.
The public company Tame, which covered a large part of the national territory, was dismantled last year due to a large debt and the impossibility of refloating it after several years of attempts.
Three airlines operate in Ecuador: LATAM, Avianca and Aeroregional, a small carrier with connections to Loja, Guayaquil, and Coca.
