The New Quito-Dallas Route is a Reality
A new destination is added to the Mariscal Sucre’s global map of connections. As of December 18, American Airlines will begin its direct flights between Quito and Dallas via five weekly flights using an Airbus 319 with a capacity for 128 passengers.
The airline’s announcement is the result of meticulous negotiations with the airline, with the additional involvement of the Dallas/Fort Worth airport; where the flight will originate.
"This is the first time that we put into action, as part of the route development strategy, a coordinated effort with another airport and the result has been magnificent. Both the airports of Quito and Dallas have designed a package of incentives for the airline, stimuli that undoubtedly was an important factor for American Airlines to decide to start the operation of the new flight”, said Andrew O'Brian, President and CEO of Quiport.
The objective of the flight to Dallas is twofold, as reveals Carlos Criado, director of Business Development. "On the one hand it seeks to provide best connection for potential tourists to Ecuador and on the other, Dallas is an excellent hub for connecting flights to the American West Coast and even to destinations in the Asian Far East," he stated.
The Key Strategy
11 meetings with the route planning team of American Airlines, four business cases under different scenarios for the new flight’s operation and two tripartite meetings between Dallas Fort Worth Airport, the airline and Corporacion Quiport were necessary to finalize the new flight. Many of these meetings took place during different Routes Americas and Routes World during a few years.
"Opening a new route is a long process, it requires a lot of market knowledge and patience", commented Andrew O'Brian, who welcomed the announcement of AA. "We are pleased to fulfill our commitment to continuously improve Quito’s connectivity with the world and so far we have had very positive results," he remarked.
In a statement released by the airline, Art Torno, American Airlines Senior Vice President for Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America said: "This expansion of new routes between Ecuador and the United States further strengthens our presence in the country, a key market for American Airlines in Latin America."
American is one of the leading air carriers in Quito. It operates 14 weekly flights between the Ecuadorian capital and Miami and this will be its second direct flight to a destination in the United States. In June, the airline increased its number of seats in the morning flight to Miami by swapping its Boeing 757 with capacity for 178 passengers it used for a Boeing 767/300, with 218 seats.
Increase in Connectivity Consolidates Quito as the Main Gateway to the Country
The development of Quito and Ecuador’s air connectivity is one of the fundamental pillars on which Quiport’s strategic management is based. As such, we are preparing to participate in World Routes 2015, the main forum for air route development which unites airports and airlines to seek new growth opportunities. The encounter will be held in Durban, South Africa, from 19-22 September, 2015.
Thanks to this approach and to the effort carried out to promote tourism in the city and the country developed by Quito Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, as of the beginning of its operations in February 2013 the Mariscal Sucre airport has registered a significant growth in connectivity.
Confidence in the air transport sector in Quito has fortified thanks to the modern facilities and first-class airport, which have resulted in the arrival of two new airlines (Aeromexico and VivaColombia), the increase of six new destinations (Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Salinas) and the incorporation of 14 additional frequencies on existing routes (Amsterdam, Panama, Houston, Bogota and Galapagos).
In addition to these developments, JetBlue’s announcement to start operating between Quito and Fort Lauderdale as of early 2016 must be included.