Source: ALTA
The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) is pleased to welcome Equair, an airline based in Quito, as a new member.
In its first year, Equair flew over 4,700 mainland and island flights, achieved a 95% passenger satisfaction rate and a 98% on-time percentage on flights to major cities in Ecuador, including Quito, Guayaquil, Baltra and San Cristobal, the latter two located in the Galapagos Islands.
“Equair and ALTA members share a common goal of working in an environmentally sustainable manner. Under its commitment to being carbon neutral, it has applied policies such as 100% recovery of carbon emissions since the beginning of its operations, it also highlights its responsible use of water, non-polluting materials, and the absence of single-use plastics in its in-flight service. Our new member is a source of satisfaction for us and encourages us to continue working to achieve the necessary conditions for the airlines in the region to reach their major environmental goals,” affirms José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s Executive Director & CEO.
Frederik Jacobsen, CEO at Equair, stressed that “we are very pleased to join ALTA as we share the goals, interests, challenges, and issues of the sector, and we wish to contribute through our experience to strengthening our industry in Latin America.”
The Ecuadorian airline expects to continue growing this year, with the arrival of more aircraft for its fleet and expanding its international route network. As early as July 2022, Equair began operating charter flights to Curaçao (CUR) and Punta Cana (PUJ) under an agreement with travel agencies in Ecuador. This year it has operated charters to PUJ, CTG, and RIO.
The airline reported that it has 30% of the market and that the load factor continues to consolidate and already exceeds 70% on several of its domestic routes.