Airport Overview

The Catamayo City Airport is the only airport that serves the entire province of Loja with more than 511,000 inhabitants. The airport is only operational during daylight hours, receiving a total of 68 regular flights monthly, of which 60 are from Quito and 8 from Guayaquil, reaching up to 3 daily flights. In 2022 a total of 64.685 passengers flew in/out the terminal, (Ref, 2021 33,577; 2020 20,955)

The airport is located a city in mountain valley 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Loja. There is rising terrain south of the airport, and mountainous terrain in all other quadrants. Some of the main services of the airport are a medical Service and fast-tracked security clearance.

Approaching and landing can only be made on runway 07 and takeoffs on runway 25, which makes its operation more complex, which together with the climate and mountains is a challenge for the pilots, who are specially trained to land there. The location of the runway does not allow the development of an instrument flight procedure to get there in bad weather. Very intense winds in certain times of the year is another limitation  that does not allows any operation to be carried out on either of the two tracks, added to the irregular topography of the terrain.

The Catamayo Airport, began its operations with the application of the RNAV instrument approach procedure, with support from the GNSS satellite system (Global Navigation Satellite System), used for the approach and landing of aircraft. . Previously, the approach was carried out only in VFR flight conditions, that is, with visual reference to the terrain.

The General Directorate of Civil Aviation, through the Directorate of Air Navigation Services, began the process of implementing this procedure, a year ago, together with the air operator LATAM, to take advantage of the avionics technology that will be used by the Airbus 319 aircraft said the airline, on the Quito-Loja-Quito route.

During this process, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel of the control tower of the Catamayo air terminal were trained. In addition, technical coordination was carried out regarding the type of navigation, approach and takeoff with ATC personnel from the Guayaquil Area Control Center (ACC) and ATC personnel from the Cuenca airport, who will carry out permanent control and surveillance of the flights carried out. to and from Catamayo airport.

Passenger movements at Catamayo City Airport 2022: 64.685 pax, nationals

Runway

Helipad

Not established, APN is used. Pavement  PCN: 50/F/D/Y/U

Airport Infrastructure Details

1. ^{Pavement PCN: 50/F/D/Y/U (72000 KG) The parking platform can accommodate 3 Embraer 190 type aircraft or 4 smaller aircraft}
2. ^{Associated MET office CATAMAYO 593 2 2947400 ext. 1515}
3. ^{The use of the RNAV instrument approach procedure at the Catamayo Airport  increases the level of safety of air operations, shorten the approach time of an aircraft to the airport and thereby also reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the air atmosphere.}
4. ^{Not available, In case of these situations It is carried out through an agreement between the  airport and local companies}

The Loja non-directional beacon (Ident: LOJ) is located on the field. The control tower has new-technology, communications and weather forecast systems. There is a firefighting hangar, parking area for 4,000 US gallons firefighting trucks  and technical maintenance block of 360 square meters facilities.

Source: DGAC,  runway lighting system at Loja's "Ciudad de Catamayo" Airport.

Fuel Services Charges

Facilities/resupply capacity Catamayo Airport

fuel types: JET A-1

1 tanker

NOT operational
 

Royalties / Non Objection Fees (NOFs)

N/A