Transport in Ecuador

Transportation in Ecuador is the transport infrastructure networks in Ecuador and those connecting the country with other countries. Transportation in Ecuador include aviation, highways, pipelines, ports and harbors, railways and waterways. Apart from transporting passengers, the country is a relatively small exporter of fruits and vegetables such as banana, papayas and pineapples.

Aviation

National airlines

Avianca
LATAM Airlines
Aeroregional

Airports

345

Airports (paved)

total: 317
*over 3,047 m: 3
*2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
*1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
*914 to 1,523 m: 29
*under 914 m: 43

Heliports

Highways

total:
*paved:
*unpaved:

The Sierra Region still plays an important role in transportation throughout the country. The Pan-American Highway crosses it from north to south. Ecuador has managed to update some roads into four-lane freeways:

Quito – Alpichacas. Length: 33 km.
Guayaquil ring-road. Length: 46 km.
Guayaquil – Taura. Length: 30 km.
Guayaquil – Cerro Blanco. Length: 27 km.
Machala – Pasaje. Length: 23 km.

Bus transport

Ecuador has a variety of bus services.
The general types of service include:

luxury buses — autobús de lujo, which travel the main routes between cities.
standard buses — these travel more local routes and will stop for any passengers that hails them.
minibuses — busetas which service the outer fringes of the bus networksrancheras — trucks which have been converted to buses by adding wooden benches. These service the poorer, rural areas, along with camionetas, which are converted pickup trucks.

In the capital, Quito, boarding platforms are used to put passengers at the same level as the entrance to the bus.

Pipelines

485 km extra heavy crude,
123 km gas,
2,131 km oil,
1,526 km refined products

Ports and harbors

Ecuador has:

6 total ports
* 0 large
* 0 medium
* 2 small
* 4 very small
* 5 ports with oil terminals
* key ports: Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, Puerto Maritimo de Guayaquil

Pacific Ocean

Merchant marine

total: 31 ships totaling /
ships by type:
* Chemical tanker 1
* gas carrying tanker 1
* Passenger ships 7
* Petroleum tankers 21
* Specialized tanker 1
Foreign-owned: 2
* Norway 1
* Paraguay 1
Registered in other countries 1
* Georgia 1

Railways

Total:
812 km
Narrow gauge:
812 km of gauge.
All services ceased in 2020.

Proposals

There is a proposed rail connection with Colombia. On 5 July 2008, a meeting took place between Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador regarding a railway for freight and passengers to link the three countries, and linking the Pacific with the Atlantic also. There is no railway service to Peru.

Metro services

In 2020, the Cuenca Tramway, the first modern rail transit line in Ecuador, opened for service.
The Quito Metro initiated its commercial operations on 1 December 2023.