โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
45
minutes
Domestic โ International
80
minutes
International โ Domestic
80
minutes
International โ International
95
minutes
Interline Connections
125
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Mariscal Sucre International Airport, opened in 2013, replaced Quito's old airport and sits at 2,400 meters elevation in the Tababela area, 45km east of central Quito. This modern facility is designed to handle Ecuador's growing international traffic and serves as a crucial gateway to the Galรกpagos Islands. Layout: Single large terminal building organized across three levels. Departures occupy the upper level, arrivals the ground level, with services distributed throughout. The terminal spans 38,000 square meters with distinct domestic and international wings. Maximum walking distance between gates is approximately 20 minutes, with moving walkways in longer corridors. Security: Advanced security systems with multiple screening points.
Allow 25-35 minutes for security processing, particularly during morning domestic peaks and evening international departures. The high altitude can cause some travelers to feel effects during extended walking. Immigration: International section features 16 passport control booths with electronic systems. Wait times typically range 15-30 minutes, though morning fog common at this elevation can cause flight delays that bunch arrivals. Ecuador offers visa-free entry for many nationalities for tourist stays. Amenities: Duty-free shopping featuring Ecuadorian chocolate, coffee, and textiles. Multiple restaurants serve local specialties including locro and empanadas alongside international options.
VIP lounges, prayer room, medical services, and business facilities available. Currency exchange, ATMs, and free WiFi throughout. The terminal architecture incorporates Andean design elements. Baggage claim features modern systems with 8 carousels - typical wait 20-35 minutes. Ground transport includes express buses to Quito (45-60 minutes), taxis, and car rental. Note that morning fog is common and can cause departure delays.
๐ Connection Tips
Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport sits about 45 km east of the city, so connections need to account for road time as much as airside time. In moderate traffic, the trip to downtown is usually 35 to 50 minutes, but it can stretch longer at peak hours. For international to domestic connections, clear immigration and customs in Quito, collect checked bags if required, and factor in the Galapagos Transit Control Card and biosecurity inspection if your onward flight goes to the islands. The airport is efficient, but it is not a place to assume a short city stop between flights. That road transfer matters more than the terminal itself, so travelers connecting through Quito should treat the airport as a gateway to Tababela rather than a quick downtown stop. If you are continuing to the Galรกpagos, the checked-bag and biosecurity sequence should be built into the connection plan from the start. For city-bound passengers, the airport bus or a booked taxi is the right way to finish the trip because Quito traffic and altitude make timing matter. The airport is far enough from downtown that you should treat the ground transfer as part of the connection, not a postscript. That is especially true if you are changing between domestic and international flights or heading to the Quito hotel corridor.
โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
45
minutes
Domestic โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
110
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Los Perales Airport serves the Bahรญa de Carรกquez and San Vicente area on Ecuador's central coast. Although it no longer functions as a normal scheduled-passenger airport, it still matters as a local airfield for general aviation, state activity, and emergency access. Its location near the estuary and the Los Caras bridge gives it a practical role in a coastal zone where local geography shapes transport choices.
The infrastructure is basic and should be understood in that context. This is not a modern commercial terminal but a small local airfield with limited passenger-facing services. Travelers relying on the area usually organize the airport piece as part of a broader regional plan rather than treating it like an independent transport hub.
For most visitors, the airfield's real relevance is historical or logistical, since many standard commercial itineraries now flow through Manta instead. Even so, Los Perales remains a useful local aviation point in a part of Ecuador where short-distance coastal movement can still be operationally important.
๐ Connection Tips
Los Perales Airport (BHA) functions primarily as a general aviation facility without scheduled commercial service, requiring travelers to utilize Manta's Eloy Alfaro International Airport located 80 kilometers south (1. 5 hours by road) for all commercial airline connections to Ecuador's national and international aviation networks. The 2010 inauguration of Los Caras Bridge over the Chone River estuary revolutionized regional connectivity by directly linking Bahรญa de Carรกquez with San Vicente, completing Ecuador's strategic Spondylus Route tourist corridor and eliminating previous ferry dependencies. Road transport from Manta Airport involves either direct bus service via Cooperativa de Transporte Turรญstico Manabรญ (hourly departures, 2-hour journey, $3 fare) or taxi/rental car options following Highway E15 coastal route through Rocafuerte and Tosagua. Ground transportation infrastructure at Los Perales Airport reflects its diminished commercial role following the cessation of scheduled passenger service, with no established taxi stands, rental car facilities, or public transit connections operating from the airfield itself.
Local transport options in Bahรญa de Carรกquez include traditional yellow taxis charging approximately $5-10 for city center destinations, ubiquitous mototaxis (motorcycle taxis) costing $1-2 for short trips but unsuitable for luggage transport, and informal shared pickup trucks (camionetas) serving rural routes. The Los Caras Bridge's 1,980-meter span includes dedicated bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways with three scenic rest balconies, making non-motorized crossing viable for lightweight travelers exploring the 10-kilometer San Vicente connection. Private aviation arrivals must coordinate ground transport through local fixers or hotel concierges, as the airport's remote location from Bahรญa's urban core and absence of communication facilities make spontaneous transport arrangements virtually impossible. Ecuador's coastal Manabรญ Province infrastructure positions Los Perales Airport as a remnant of pre-bridge transportation networks, when air service provided essential connectivity before Los Caras Bridge transformed regional dynamics along the Spondylus Route. The airport's strategic value now centers on emergency medical evacuations, disaster response capabilities following Ecuador's frequent seismic events, and supporting government operations in this ecologically sensitive coastal zone where the Chone River estuary meets the Pacific Ocean.
Charter operations occasionally utilize the 1,500-meter paved runway for eco-tourism access to nearby Machalilla National Park and Isla Corazรณn wildlife refuge, though most commercial tourism flows through Manta's superior facilities. The airfield's proximity to shrimp farming operations and agricultural zones maintains its relevance for cargo and business aviation supporting Ecuador's coastal export economy. Weather patterns influenced by the Humboldt Current create relatively stable flying conditions year-round, though morning coastal fog can delay operations until mid-morning clearance. Emergency contingency planning should account for the region's vulnerability to El Niรฑo events that periodically cause severe flooding and infrastructure damage, making alternative routing through Guayaquil or Quito necessary during extreme weather events that can isolate Manabรญ's coastal communities for extended periods.
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