New airport in Quito

New Quito airport opens tomorrow. Taxi Fares Quito/airport average $25 expected to take 1-1.5 hours. Buses cost about $8 and will leave from old Quito airport and suggest arriving 4 hours before flight departure. I expect it will take at least a week to work out all the "bugs". Domestic (LAN and Tame) airlines have 20% off on domestic flights to June in anticipation traffic will decline due to airports remoteness. No chance International carriers will discount as their traffic will not be impacted and their landing fees increase at new airport. As flights from USA arrive in evening, same day connection to Cuenca is not practical. No hotels yet near new airport but should be several within a year

Apparently, Ecuador´s top expat--domenick buonamici-- has just opened a hotel by the new airport:

http://airporthotelquito.com/

Source

I've heard nothing about any delays. There are SO many unanswered details about this new airport. Sit tight and watch them unfold with the rest of us.

We watched the last flight leave at 7PM from the old airport. Schedule is first flight (Tame) arrives at new airport at 9AM tomorrow. Problem is traveling to and from new airport as roads are not adequate.

The new airport is scheduled for 24 hour operation.  This should fix the issue of limited flight times and over night stay.  Being at a lower altitude, longer runways, etc.  Much safer.  This should also lower fuel costs as the Gov't has offered reduced fuel cost for more flights.  Time will tell.