{"id":6984,"date":"2025-07-05T19:14:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T00:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/?p=6984"},"modified":"2025-07-05T19:15:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T00:15:55","slug":"citizen-journalism-big-changes-taking-off-at-cuencas-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/05\/citizen-journalism-big-changes-taking-off-at-cuencas-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"CITIZEN JOURNALISM &#8211; Big Changes Taking Off at Cuenca\u2019s Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"6984\" class=\"elementor elementor-6984\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e5f8743 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e5f8743\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c9b5046 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c9b5046\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f1959b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f1959b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 29-01-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">New Amenities, Art, and International Hopes Are in the Air<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4269338 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4269338\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 29-01-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><strong>By: Cuenca Expats Magazine Staff Writer<\/strong><\/p><p>Cuenca Expats Magazine was recently invited to tour the impressive upgrades at Mariscal La Mar International Airport\u2014and we were genuinely surprised by what we saw.<\/p><p>The airport has bounced back to pre-COVID levels, now serving around 40,000 passengers a month with 52 weekly flights (47 to Quito and 5 to Guayaquil).\u00a0<\/p><p>And there\u2019s more on the horizon: while Cuenca plans to build a much larger international airport in the Tarqui area within the next 10 years, the city isn\u2019t waiting around to improve travel today.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9dd4d54 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9dd4d54\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 29-01-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aeropuertocuenca.ec\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"241\" src=\"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Logo_Corpac-H-1024x241.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2407\" alt=\"Logo_Corpac H - Cuenca Airport\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Logo_Corpac-H-1024x241.png 1024w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Logo_Corpac-H-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Logo_Corpac-H-768x181.png 768w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Logo_Corpac-H.png 1112w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bcf54ad e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bcf54ad\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-424a4dc elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"424a4dc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Photo-courtesy-of-Tranvia-Cuenca-e1751756947409-1024x532.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-6987\" alt=\"Big Changes Taking Off at Cuenca\u2019s Airport\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Photo-courtesy-of-Tranvia-Cuenca-e1751756947409-1024x532.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Photo-courtesy-of-Tranvia-Cuenca-e1751756947409-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Photo-courtesy-of-Tranvia-Cuenca-e1751756947409-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Photo-courtesy-of-Tranvia-Cuenca-e1751756947409.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6bea4b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6bea4b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>To check out the upgrades, we hopped on the Tranv\u00eda, which conveniently stops right at the airport. Inside, the ground floor has been completely reorganized for better flow and visibility. Travel agencies and car rental offices are now grouped together, and there\u2019s plenty of new seating for those waiting to greet arriving passengers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-949934f elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"949934f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 29-01-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-video .elementor-widget-container{overflow:hidden;transform:translateZ(0)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{height:100%;width:100%;display:flex;border:none;background-color:#000}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1\/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% \/ var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-open-inline .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;background-size:cover;background-position:50%}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{cursor:pointer;text-align:center}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay:hover .elementor-custom-embed-play i{opacity:1}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{display:block;width:100%;aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio);-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;-o-object-position:center center;object-position:center center}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1\/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% \/ var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .e-hosted-video .elementor-video{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-video,.e-con>.elementor-widget-video{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"http:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AIRPORT-VIDEO.mp4\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-471772c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"471772c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f234dd3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f234dd3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46ffb67 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"46ffb67\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A long-awaited escalator now connects the levels, and at the top you\u2019re welcomed by a bright, modern art gallery with rotating exhibits. The food court has also been expanded with more tables and a new central work station\u2014perfect for digital nomads on the go.<\/p><p>In even bigger news, the airport is preparing for international service. The first destination is expected to be Peru.<\/p><p>Construction is already underway for an international boarding and arrivals area. Before flights can begin, coordination must be finalized between the national police, immigration, and customs agencies.<\/p><p>Two new jetways are also in the works, which will allow passengers to board and deplane directly from the terminal\u2014no more outdoor stairs in the rain!<\/p><p>And here\u2019s a tip for savvy travelers: Cuenca Airport\u2019s VIP lounge is one of the city\u2019s best-kept secrets.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-660d474 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"660d474\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d3d224 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6d3d224\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For just $15\u2014or with most major credit cards\u2014you can enjoy a spacious, comfortable environment with complimentary snacks and beverages. It\u2019s a relaxing way to wait for your flight\u2014and well worth it.<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6993 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896-1024x1022.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896-768x767.jpg 768w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5896.jpg 1179w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br data-start=\"461\" data-end=\"464\" \/>Mr. Jos\u00e9 Luis Aguilar Hern\u00e1ndez, Executive Director of the Corporaci\u00f3n Aeroportuaria de Cuenca, invites all expats to come experience the improvements firsthand and consider flying from Cuenca for their next adventure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Amenities, Art, and International Hopes Are in the Air By: Cuenca Expats Magazine Staff Writer Cuenca Expats Magazine was recently invited to tour the impressive upgrades at Mariscal La Mar International Airport\u2014and we were genuinely surprised by what we saw. The airport has bounced back to pre-COVID levels, now serving around 40,000 passengers a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,54,516],"tags":[597,594,604,431,599,593,582,596,595,598,605,602,600,601,603],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6984"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6984"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7005,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6984\/revisions\/7005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsmags.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}