Aeropuerto General Ulpiano Páez
Aeropuerto General Ulpiano Páez is the airport of Salinas. It was rebuilt in 2014 but has had no scheduled passenger flights since 2018; the nearest airport with airline service is Guayaquil (GYE).
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | Salinas, Santa Elena Province |
| Opened | 1937, as a military air base |
| Rebuilt | 2014, USD 49 million (Ministry of Transport and Public Works) |
| Terminal | 1,800 m² |
| Operator | Dirección General de Aviación Civil (DGAC) |
| Scheduled flights | None since 2018 |
History
The airfield began in 1937 as a military air base. In 2014 the government rebuilt it with a new passenger terminal, control tower, technical block, fire-rescue hangar and safety strips. TAME, the state airline, then flew a Quito–Salinas route until the company closed; the route ended in 2018.
Today
The airport is used for Armed Forces training, a flight school and private aircraft. The Salinas development plan would like to see commercial flights return.
Getting to an airline airport
Travellers fly into Guayaquil's José Joaquín de Olmedo airport, about 2–2½ hours away by road. See Taxis and Taxi Apps and Terminal Terrestre Regional Sumpa (Santa Elena).
Sources: PDOT Salinas 2023–2027 (pp. 177, 198, 312).