Airport Overview 

The Mariscal La Mar International Airport (IATA code: CUE, ICAO code: SECU), also called Mariscal Lamar Airport or Cuenca Airport, is considered as cross-border domestic terminal located within the urban perimeter of the city of Cuenca, providing its services to the city of Cuenca, Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador. Local flights take 35 minutes from Quito and 20 minutes from Guayaquil.

Currently, and due to the unexpected growth of the city and its progressive expansion, the airport has been surrounded by industrial and residential areas, which produces tension between the residents and the airport entities, due to the constant discomfort due to the noise generated. by airplanes when taking off and landing. In addition, the extensions are made impossible due to the geography and the surrounding populations; This puts the entities in a serious dilemma, since the airport and its runways need to be expanded again due to their air traffic.

The airport has carried out several works that have allowed it to maintain its operations safely and up to date with current aeronautical trends. For example, in approach systems, new satellite and GPS landing procedures have been implemented that allow more environmentally friendly operations and operations with less visibility. It also has an ILS landing system, PAPI and runway lights.

Master plan

In the first quarter of 2022, the Municipality of Cuenca will carry out the comprehensive rehabilitation of the runway and the movement area of the Mariscal La Mar airport in this city, also the repowering and construction of a new system for drainage; the reconstruction of the electrical circuits, the change to led lights and the horizontal signaling. This project, according to CORPAC, is part of a process for the certification that this aerodrome seeks and is included in the institutional and master strategic plans.

Other mandatory improvements are the implementation of migration and customs for daily flight control, which would currently be limited by the physical spaces of the airport.

Source: @dgac_ecuador

Runway

At the North-East and South-West extremes, there is an additional area (called ears) of 18,446.00 m². Therefore, the actual total area of the runway is 86,846.00 m². 0-5 headland threshold: S 02º53``41.0 ”and W 78º59``28.1” with an elevation of 2531.73 meters (8306.2 feet) above sea level. Header 2-3 threshold: S 02º53``03.1 and W 78º58` 39.06 ”with an elevation of 2516.45 meters (8256.07 feet) above sea level.

The taxiway is built on flexible pavement, parallel to the runway at a distance of 78m. and communicates with the 0-5 head of the airport with a length of 580 m. with a width of 18 m.

Source: zbordirect.com/es/airport/cuenca-cue

Despite the fact that the passenger terminal has been constantly updated and is a modern building, the runway can no longer be expanded because on one side there is a ravine and on the other several houses and businesses.

Airport Infrastructure Details

The relatively small terminal has 5,126 m² of construction on 2 floors, being a completely modern building. Currently, with the growth of the city, the airport is located within the northern part of the city, completely surrounded by it, in a commercial, industrial and residential area. This generates annoyances, especially due to noise, safety and efficiency problems for airlines and users.

(*) The runway lighting is as follows:

• 12 PAPIS lights, header 23.
• 8 PAPIS lights, header 05.
• 16 Green lights, start of runway 05/23.
• 16 Red lights, runway end 05/23.

The airport has a 250 m rigid pavement platform. Long by 50 m. wide, parallel to 70 m. of the track axis. Some of the main services of the airport are medical service and a fast-tracked security clearance. In case of any emergency the fire station and ambulances have a prompt response. 

Fuel Service Charges

Ecuafuel is the fuelling station that belongs to PETROECUADOR, an Ecuadorian state company.

(*) The above are referential prices and were obtained from Petrocomercial information (GoE fuel supplier).  In the private sector, each retailer may vary its prices.