Equair

Equair
IATA ICAO Call sign
HN EQX EQUINOX[1]
FoundedOctober 2020
Commenced operationsJanuary 10, 2022
Ceased operationsSeptember 30, 2023
HubsMariscal Sucre International Airport
Frequent-flyer programCacao Miles
Fleet size3
Destinations6
HeadquartersQuito, Ecuador
Key peopleFrederik Jacobsen[2] and Gabriela Sommerfeld[3]
Websitewww.equair.com.ec

EquinoxAir S.A.S, which operated under the Equair brand, was an airline headquartered in Quito, Ecuador. It operated domestic flights, between Quito, Guayaquil and the Galápagos Islands.[4] The airline competed with the Ecuadorian subsidiaries of Avianca and LATAM, as well as Aeroregional.

History

Equair was founded in October 2020 as EquinoxAir. It started its formation process with the authorities, and in March 2021 it got assigned some of the frequencies to the Baltra and San Cristóbal islands that TAME used to operate before its dissolution.[5]

On November 16, 2021, the company was officially presented and the Equair brand was revealed in an event that took place in Centro de Convenciones Bicentenario, Quito.[6]

On December 4, 2021, Equair received the first aircraft of its fleet, a Boeing 737-700. This aircraft was ferried from Lleida, Spain to Latacunga, Ecuador with stopovers in Reykjavík, Iceland and Boston, United States.

Equair was expected to have its inaugural flight, between Quito and Guayaquil on December 22, 2021, but was delayed to January 2022 due to a COVID-19 outbreak between the employees of the airline. Gabriela Sommerfeld was named as the CEO at the opening ceremony that was attended by Marcelo Cabrera who was the Minister of Transportation.[3]

On January 7, 2022, the airline received its operation certificate from the Ecuadorian Civil Aviation General Directorate, after a demonstration flight to the Galápagos Islands was carried out. Then, on January 10, 2022, the airline had its inaugural flight between Quito and Guayaquil.[7]

Equair introduced its frequent flyer program on May 17, 2022, under the "Cacao Miles" name. Besides accruing miles, the program offers discounts with affiliates and in-flight perks.[8]

On September 30, 2023, Equair announced it was shutting down its operations with immediate effect, citing causes as the rising cost of fuel and a reduction in demand for national routes. [9]

Destinations

The airline focuses its operations on domestic flights.[10]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Curaçao Willemstad Curaçao International Airport Charter [11]
Dominican Republic Punta Cana Punta Cana International Airport Charter [11][12]
Ecuador Baltra Island Seymour Airport
El Coca Francisco de Orellana Airport [13]
Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport
Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport Hub
San Cristóbal Island San Cristóbal Airport

Fleet

In November 2022, the Equair fleet included three aircraft:[14]

Equair fleet
Aircraft In
service 		Orders Passengers Notes
Y Total
Boeing 737-700 3 — 142 142
Total 3 —

See also

References

  1. ^ "LiveATC.net - Live Air Traffic". www.liveatc.net. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  2. ^ Sourtech. "Cinco consejos para superar la vuelta al trabajo post vacaciones". Forbes Ecuador (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  3. ^ a b Mazó, Edgardo Gimenez (2022-01-10). "A new airline is born in Latin America: Equair performed its maiden flight". Aviacionline.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  4. ^ Mazó, Edgardo Gimenez (10 January 2022). "A new airline is born in Latin America: Equair performed its maiden flight". Aviacionline.com (in Spanish).
  5. ^ "Asignadas a tres empresas las frecuencias de TAME en Galápagos". Primicias (in Spanish). 11 March 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Equair se suma al mercado de aerolíneas ecuatorianas". El Comercio (in Spanish). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  7. ^ Serrano, Diana (10 January 2022). "Aerolínea Equair inauguró sus vuelos domésticos". El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  8. ^ Larenas, Nicolás (18 May 2022). "EquAir presenta Cacao Miles, su programa de acumulación de millas". Nicolás Larenas (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  9. ^ https://www.nlarenas.com/2023/09/equair-anuncia-suspension-operaciones-manera-inmediata/ [bare URL]
  10. ^ Larenas, Nicolás (12 December 2021). "EquAir: estos son los precios, horarios y frecuencias de sus vuelos". Nicolás Larenas (in Spanish).
  11. ^ a b "Ecuador's Equair set to start int'l charters". Ch-aviation.com. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Equair comenzó vuelos a Punta Cana con sistema chárter". Eluniverso.com (in Spanish). 13 July 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  13. ^ "EquAir suma un nuevo destino en la región Amazónica ecuatoriana". Aviacionline.com (in Spanish). 23 August 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  14. ^ "Equair Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved January 10, 2022.