Air travel rebounds from the pandemic

The number of national and international air passengers arriving at Ecuador’s airports is showing a strong recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the National Civil Aviation agency, the number of passengers through the first six months of 2022 was 78% the number of passengers in the same period of 2019.

The agency reports that 1,724,217 international travelers arrived from January through June of 2022 while domestics arrivals totaled 1,227,348. May recorded the largest number of air travelers, with 566,646, while the number dropped by 50,000 in June as a result of the indigenous strike.

“We believe that air travel will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022 or in early 2023,” the agency said. “The airline industry is undergoing restructuring worldwide following the pandemic and flight schedules are undergoing changes. In Ecuador, more seats are being added to accommodate the growth.”

The agency reports that some air routes, including ones from Guayaquil and Quito to the Galapagos, have fully recover to 2019 levels.

In total air arrivals, Guayaquil ranks first in Ecuador followed closely by Quito. Cuenca is the third busiest air destination while and Manta is fourth.