José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport - GYE
José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport is an international airport that serves Guayaquil, Ecuador, the country’s most populous city and the capital of the Guayas Province. It uses the airport code GYE. It is located 3 miles away from the Guyaquil city center, and is ranked second among Ecuador’s busiest airports. BusinessWeek also named it the “Best Airport in Latin America” in 2008 and 2009. Previously, it was named Simón Bolívar International Airport, until it was renamed in 2006 after Guayaquil’s first mayor, José Joaquín de Olmedo, who was also a notable poet.
Best Time to Visit
This international airport has one runway, and a terminal that covers a land area of 540,000 square feet, which can handle up to 7.5 million passengers annually. In 2006, this passenger terminal was the newest in all of Ecuador, and the old airport terminal was eventually converted to a convention center. The José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport is a vital refuel stop for all domestic flights heading to the famed Galápagos Islands. Other cities that can be visited from this airport are Milagro and Naranjal.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Just a short 4-minute walk from the airport is the Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport, which features a state of the art fitness center with great views of the city. Also nearby is the Sonesta Hotel Guayaquil, a luxurious hotel that offers guests all the comforts of a home with a location that’s hard to beat. It is half a mile away from the airport, and offers a free shuttle service.
