Ecuador operates two primary international gateways. Mariscal Sucre International Airport serves Quito and opened at its current Tababela location in February 2013, replacing the in-city airport that had operated since 1960. The facility sits 18 kilometers east of Quito's historic center at 2,400 meters elevation. José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport serves Guayaquil and handles the majority of Ecuador's international passenger traffic, located 5 kilometers north of the city center near sea level. Both airports maintain immigration facilities staffed by the Ecuadorian National Police and customs operations administered by SENAE, the National Customs Service of Ecuador.
Mariscal Sucre processes arriving passengers through a single-level immigration hall with approximately 20 booths. Lines fluctuate based on concurrent flight arrivals, with waits ranging from 15 minutes during off-peak periods to 90 minutes when multiple long-haul flights arrive within the same hour window. Immigration officers stamp passports and may inquire about accommodation addresses and departure plans. The terminal contains no jet bridges on certain remote stands, requiring bus transfers of 3 to 8 minutes to reach the main building. Baggage claim operates four carousels. Customs inspection follows a green channel/red channel system, with random selections for inspection occurring at a rate that increases when agricultural products appear on X-ray screening.
José Joaquín de Olmedo follows a similar processing structure with 16 immigration booths. The airport rebuilt its international terminal in 2006, adding air conditioning throughout passenger areas. Baggage typically appears 20 to 35 minutes after aircraft arrival. The customs area separates arriving passengers into those declaring items and those proceeding directly through, with agricultural inspections conducted more frequently than at Quito due to Guayaquil's role as a major banana export hub and corresponding concern about reverse agricultural traffic.
Currency exchange counters operate in both airports beyond the customs exit points. Exchange rates at these facilities run 3 to 7 percent below mid-market rates. Ecuador adopted the United States dollar as its official currency in January 2000 under President Jamil Mahuad during an economic crisis that saw the sucre collapse from 7,000 per dollar in January 1999 to 25,000 per dollar by January 2000. All transactions in Ecuador occur in U.S. dollars, using both U.S.-minted currency and Ecuadorian-minted centavo coins that match U.S. denominations but circulate only domestically. ATMs in both arrival halls dispense dollars, though machines impose withdrawal limits of $400 to $600 per transaction with fees of $3 to $5 per withdrawal for foreign cards.
Transportation from Mariscal Sucre to Quito's historic center follows three primary routes. The airport operates an official taxi service called Taxi Aeropuerto with a counter immediately outside customs. These vehicles charge fixed rates: $26 to the historic center, $28 to the northern business district of Quito, printed on laminated cards at the dispatch desk as of 2024. Journey time ranges from 35 to 55 minutes depending on destination zone and traffic density. The airport expressway, completed in phases between 2013 and 2015, connects directly to the Simón Bolívar highway entering Quito from the east. Ride-hailing applications including Uber, Cabify, and InDriver operate from the airport, with pickups occurring from a designated area on the departures level rather than arrivals. Fares to central Quito range from $15 to $22, fluctuating with demand-based pricing.
Public bus service connects the airport to Quito through two operators. The Aeroservicios express bus departs from a shelter 200 meters from the terminal exit, reachable via covered walkway, operating between 5:00 AM and 11:30 PM at intervals of 20 to 40 minutes. The route terminates at Río Coca station on Quito's Metro, which opened its first line in December 2023. Fare costs $8 as of 2024. Journey time runs 45 to 70 minutes to Río Coca station. From there, the metro operates northward and southward through Quito, reaching the historic center's San Francisco station in 15 minutes. Metro fare costs $0.45 per journey. The second option involves taking a local green bus from the same shelter for $2, following a slower route through valley towns before entering Quito's eastern neighborhoods, requiring 75 to 110 minutes to reach transfer points for the city's Metrobús system.
José Joaquín de Olmedo Airport positions travelers 5 kilometers from Guayaquil's Malecón 2000 waterfront area. Official airport taxis charge $6 to $9 for destinations within the city center, with trip duration of 15 to 25 minutes on the direct route via Avenida de las Américas. Ride-hailing services charge $4 to $7 for the same journey. The Metrovía bus rapid transit system does not directly serve the airport. Travelers reaching it must take a taxi or local bus 2 kilometers south to the Río Daule station, then transfer to the Metrovía trunk line. This indirect routing makes the bus option impractical for most arriving passengers carrying luggage. Local buses run along Avenida de las Américas but lack dedicated luggage space and operate at high passenger density during morning and evening periods.
Altitude affects arriving passengers at Mariscal Sucre immediately upon exiting the aircraft. Quito sits at 2,850 meters in the city center, with the airport at 2,400 meters. Oxygen saturation in ambient air at this elevation runs approximately 26 percent lower than at sea level. Physical exertion including walking quickly or carrying heavy bags can produce shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, and lightheadedness in individuals arriving from lower elevations. These symptoms represent normal physiological response to reduced oxygen availability rather than pathology. The severity and duration vary by individual fitness, age, and prior altitude exposure. Remaining hydrated and moving at a deliberate pace through the terminal reduces symptom intensity. Medical facilities exist in both airports, staffed during all operating hours.
SIM cards for mobile phone service become available from multiple carriers at both airports. Claro, Movistar, and CNT maintain retail counters past the customs exit. Prepaid plans start at $10 for packages including 2 to 4 GB of data valid for 15 days. Registration requires presenting a passport, and the activation process takes 5 to 15 minutes. Ecuador mandated SIM card registration to passport numbers in 2021 under regulations administered by ARCOTEL, the telecommunications regulator. Coverage quality differs by carrier and region. Claro operates the most extensive 4G network measured by geographic coverage, reaching 82 percent of the national territory according to ARCOTEL's 2023 report, compared to Movistar's 76 percent and CNT's 68 percent. Network performance in the Galápagos Islands remains limited across all carriers, with connectivity concentrated in Puerto Ayora, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and Puerto Villamil.
Accommodation booking typically occurs before arrival, though Ecuador does not enforce a legal requirement to present confirmed reservations during immigration processing. Officers may request an address for migration card purposes. Hotels in Quito's historic center cluster around Plaza de la Independencia and the San Francisco Church area. Properties range from $25 per night for basic hostels to $180 for boutique hotels in restored colonial buildings. Guayaquil's accommodation concentrates along the Malecón 2000 riverfront and in the northern business district near the airport. Prices run 15 to 20 percent lower than Quito for equivalent facility quality. Reservation confirmation emails suffice for immigration questioning when it occurs. The practice varies by individual officer rather than representing standardized policy.
Airport departures from Ecuador require arriving 3 hours before international flights for check-in and security processing. Both airports implement a departure tax of $39.20 for international flights, typically included in ticket prices purchased after 2016 but occasionally requiring separate payment at airline counters for tickets issued by certain non-IATA agents. Confirmation appears on the ticket or itinerary receipt under "EC" or "Ecuador airport tax." Security screening follows International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Liquids face the 100ml container restriction, with containers placed in a single transparent resealable bag not exceeding 1 liter capacity. Both airports prohibit carrying orchids, other plants, seeds, and unprocessed food items in outbound luggage without permits from MAG, the Ministry of Agriculture. Violations result in confiscation and potential fines of $100 to $500.