New Quito airport, Ecuador: high-flying success via collaboration.

Set at 8500 ft (2590 m) high in the Ecuadorian Andes the New Quito International Airport, opened in February 2013, is a landmark both in airport development in Latin America as well as in project finance. The location of this airport, which replaced the old airport that had become absorbed within the City of Quito surrounded by active volcanoes, added a number of unique challenges. As well as handling over 5 million passengers annually, the airport also exports some 20 million roses per day during peak times to destinations around the world. This paper summarises the project scope and benefits, key responsibilities, technical challenges and collaborative working that enabled the US$700 million airport development to meet contractual deadlines. Set up as a government-to-government Canadian-Ecuadorian prime contract, drawing in investors from Canada, USA and Brazil, with international financial institutions from the USA and Canada, the airport was built to international standards with suppliers from across the Americas and Europe, within the exacting obligations of the International Financial Organisation's Equator principles. The paper also examines the total concession structure including impact of a political event and the use of multiple sub-concessions needed for a fully operational airport. The authors' involvement throughout the planning, design and development of the new airport brings together important reference material for the particular benefit of those involved in transport concession projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]