The new airport scheduled to open February 20 will have profound effects on the city of Quito.
Skyscapers will now be allowed to be built higher, which could drive already high (for Ecuador) property prices downward. The area around the current airport will probably wither on the vine, it already is a seedy area that will not get any better now that the legit airport-related businesses will be on their way out.
Many travelers whose final destination is somewhere in Ecuador other than Quito will probably opt to go through now more convenient Guayaquil or not bother to pass through the city of Quito at all scheduling their connecting flights back to back to their international arrivals.
The short Quito-Guayaquil flight is the most trafficked route in all of South America, but may not be any longer as more people will choose not to travel as often or use the bus considering the increase in travel times.
The area of the current airport will be converted into a park, convention center and several large roads servicing the different areas of Quito.
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