ACI LAC congratulates the Ecuadorian Government for the successful reactivation of air passenger transport

It has been one month since the reactivation of international and domestic passenger operations in Ecuador,
where protocols and health protection measures are being applied to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Airports
Council International Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) has been closely monitoring this process in
Ecuador, which is the first country in the region to authorize the restart of regular passenger operations.

“We are pleased to see what is happening in Ecuador, especially at the International Airports of Quito and
Guayaquil, including Galapagos Airport which will restart operations in July. These airports have shown that
the correct implementation of health measures and protocols allows the safe restart of air transport activities.
So far, all operations in the country have been carried out without problems”, said Rafael Echevarne, Director
General of ACI-LAC.

He also congratulated the Government of Ecuador, the Municipalities of Quito and Guayaquil, as well as
Corporación Quiport and TAGSA as airport concessionaires, for leading this joint effort to develop the
protocols and create the conditions to take this courageous decision.

“The coordinated work between the public and private sectors was key for the restart of air transport
operations. It took many hours with ministers, undersecretaries and municipal representatives to understand
their needs and for them to comprehend airport processes, so that all the actors could be convinced that it was
possible to restart operations safely” mentioned Andrew O’Brian, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Corporación Quiport, the company in charge of the administration and operation of the Mariscal Sucre
International Airport in Quito.

Meanwhile, Ezequiel Barrenechea, Vice President of TAGSA and President of ECOGAL, companies that manage
and operate the José Joaquín de Olmedo Airport and the Seymour Airport in the Galapagos Island respectively,
stated that “we are firmly committed to safety in our terminals and have taken all necessary measures to
maintain high standards of sanitary protection for passengers and airport employees, both in Guayaquil and
the Galapagos Islands. We know that the success of the revival of air transport depends on restoring
passengers´ confidence”.

The Director General of ACI-LAC, Rafael Echevarne, explained that the success of the recovery in Ecuador will
encourage other countries in the region to resume air transport, under the premise that air operations can be
carried out smoothly by following biosafety recommendations; considering that airports are engines that boost
the economy, generating more than 15,000 direct jobs in the case of Quito and Guayaquil airports, in addition
to being key in the development of other activities like tourism, exports and business. Without airports there is
no development.

“It is time“, concluded Rafael Echevarne, “to start the reactivation of air transport in the region with all safety
measures, as Ecuador has successfully demonstrated”.