Know your airport

The gate way of entry to Ecuador

Mariscal Sucre International Airport began to operate in 2013 as the only greenfield airport in Latin America and the Caribbean. Thanks to its technical characteristics, the airport has allowed a significant increase in connectivity for Quito and the country, at the same time offering more efficient operations for airlines and improved services for passengers.

General Information

Location

The airport is located on the Caraburo plateau with an area of 1,500 hectares surrounded by three large ravines which create a natural barrier preventing the future construction of populated areas. Its surroundings do not present prominent natural obstacles or any restriction to the safe, organized and efficient operation of aircraft.

The airport is located 20.5 km as the crow flies from the city of Quito and is currently accessed by three roads in excellent condition which allow free-flowing traffic between the airport and the city. Now Quito has a true airport infrastructure capable of increasing its services according to the needs of the market; and its location on the outskirts of the urban perimeter eliminates the risks involved in the operation of a city airport.

Climate

The airport is located in the Tababela Valley, a place which enjoys a very pleasant climate where the temperature ranges from 6 to 26^oC and it does not rain frequently. This makes it an appropriate environment for aviation operations.

The prevailing winds come from the North, thus the main runway is South-North Runway 36. Between June and August the wind changes direction and blows from South to North.

These climatological conditions are an advantage given that travelers can be certain of reaching their destination without any difficulties. The airport maintains an average operating time of 99.5%.

Passenger Terminal

The terminal measures 52,430 m2 and includes all services and facilities necessary for the efficient flow of passengers and provides a wide commercial offering and comfort to ensure that you have the best travel experience as soon as you enter the airport.

Level 1 is for Arrivals. Passengers in International Arrivals arrive through the North door, while passengers in Domestic Arrivals arrive through the South door.

Level 2 is for Departures. Airlines that operate domestic flights use the check-in counters in hall A and the south side of hall B, while airlines that operate international flights use the counters located on the north side of hall B and halls C and D.

Physical Characteristics

Elevation

The location of the airport is an appreciable advantage since it is at an altitude of 2,411 meters above sea level which is 400 meters lower than the old Quito airport. This increases the operational efficiency of aircraft that can take off from the airport with an almost full cargo and fuel capacity, thus avoiding layovers and saving time and additional costs.

Runway

After thorough aircraft performance studies on aircraft that currently operate across the globe, the need was established to construct a runway measuring 4,098 m, constituting the longest runway in Ecuador and Latin America. The runway has the following characteristics:

• Length: 4,098 m.
• Elevation: 2,411 m.
• Gradient: 1%
• Width: 45 m.
• Bearing Capacity: 76 F/B/W/T

There is a parallel taxiway the same length as the runway and other shorter taxiways that allow the quick movement of aircraft and vehicles on the ground.

To allow aircraft to immediately exit the runway and to maintain the operating capacity of the Airport, there are rapid exit taxiways connecting the runway and taxiway.

Aprons

The airport has been built with three large aprons for Passengers, Cargo and General Aviation which are perfectly separated so that their specific purposes may be performed without difficulty. The main characteristics are as follows:

Passenger Apron:

• Stands: 28
• Surface: Rigid Pavement
• Bearing Capacity: 57/R/A/W/T

Cargo Apron:

• Stands: 6
• Surface: Rigid pavement
• Bearing Capacity: 57/R/A/W/T

General Aviation Apron:

• Stands: 8
• Surface: Flexible pavement
• Bearing Capacity: 53/F/A/X/T

*ICAO Pavement Classification Number.

Navigation Aids

Unlike many airports across the world, Mariscal Sucre Airport has installed visual and electronic aids that allow two runways to be used: runway 18 and runway 36. See below for more information:

Visual Aids

The airport has all the visual aids required by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Ecuadorian Aviation Authority, such as signals, signs, etc., with an emphasis on PAPI systems for both runways.

As part of the visual aids, the airport has CAT II approach lights for runway 36, which can be summarized as follows:

• Lateral bars for the first 270 m of approach lights,
• Runway centre line lights,
• Runway guard lights,
• Rapid exit guidance lights,
• Runway touchdown zone lights,
• Stopway lights,
• Simple approach lights for runway 18.

Electronic Aids

Crews have the following aids to assist their operations at the airport:

• 2 VOR/DME, one installed 7.5 NM to the North and the other at 9.7 NM to the South.
• 2 ILS/DME, which operate in Cat. I with a projection to Cat. II.

The characteristics of the equipment are designed to operate up to Cat. III.

Approach and Take-off Procedures

In accordance with the installed aids, the flight crews are able to use a series of precision and non-precision approach procedures including VOR/DME, ILS/DME and RNAV which apply RNP of up to 0.30 and are available to the pilots according to their qualifications.