Cotopaxi International Airport guide

Cotopaxi International Airport (ICAO SELT) serves Latacunga, the capital of Cotopaxi Province in the Ecuadorian Andes. It lies in a broad highland valley at about 2,800 to 2,900 metres above sea level, a few kilometres north of the city, and shares its site with the Latacunga air base of the Ecuadorian Air Force.

The airport is a mixed civil and military facility, and its terminal dates from the 1960s. It has served as an alternate for Quito during crises, notably the 1999 Guagua Pichincha eruption. A rehabilitation project began in 2009, and the airport reopened in 2011.

Its single asphalt runway, 01/19, is about 3,700 metres long, the second longest in Ecuador. The length lets Boeing 747 freighters operate from it, and Cargolux has flown cargo services to Europe from the airport.

Scheduled passenger service has been thin and intermittent. Past operators include TAME, which flew to Guayaquil and El Coca, and Saereo, which flew to Guayaquil. No regular commercial passenger service operates now, so travellers should confirm that any flight is running before planning a trip.