Navigating Coastal Ecuador Airports During Curfew: What Expats Need to Know for Guayaquil and Manta

For expats living along Ecuador's Pacific coast, understanding local regulations is key to smooth travel. Recently, new clarifications have been issued regarding mobility during the ongoing curfew, specifically concerning access to and from major airports serving the coastal region.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Technology (MIT) announced on Friday, September 18, 2026, that the movement of passengers to and from the airports of Guayaquil, Manta, and Santa Rosa is permitted during the established curfew hours. This is a significant update for anyone with early morning departures or late-night arrivals.

The mobility restriction is currently in effect daily between 00:00 and 05:00 in the provinces of Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos, and El Oro. This measure, part of Executive Decree 498 signed by President Daniel Noboa, is scheduled to run from September 17 to September 30, 2026. The broader state of exception, which frames this curfew, lasts 60 days.

Crucially, the MIT specified who is allowed to move during these restricted hours. This includes passengers themselves, family members who are transporting them, and personnel directly linked to airport operations. This means if you have a flight, you can arrange for a family member to drive you to or pick you up from the airport, even during the curfew.

To ensure compliance and facilitate controls, passengers are required to present their boarding pass. This can be in either physical or digital format. Airport personnel, on the other hand, must show their institutional credential or any document that verifies their connection to air operations.

For those traveling through Guayaquil's José Joaquín de Olmedo Airport, the airport has confirmed that its usual operations, including arrivals and departures, will continue normally during the curfew period. Passengers will find waiting seats available on both the ground and upper floors of the public hall, and commercial premises and airport services will remain functional without interruption. Mauro Freire, head of Public Relations and Communications for Tagsa (the airport concessionaire), noted that approximately 300 to 350 passengers typically arrive during curfew hours on scheduled international flights, primarily from destinations like Panama and Lima.

It's worth noting that prior to this clarification, the Guayaquil Airport had recommended that passengers arriving during curfew hours remain inside the terminal until the restriction concluded at 05:00. The new guidance from the MIT supersedes this, allowing for direct transit.

While these exceptions are in place for airport travel, the general curfew remains strict. In the first two days of the curfew, until September 18, 2026, 157 people were apprehended during the restricted hours. Of these, 133 were for non-compliance with the nighttime circulation restriction, while 24 faced charges for more serious crimes. Violating the curfew can lead to a prison sentence of one to three years, according to Article 282 of the Organic Integral Criminal Code (COIP).

What This Means for Expats

For expats residing in coastal areas like Manta, Salinas, Montañita, Puerto López, Olón, Ayampe, Bahía de Caráquez, or Canoa, and who rely on the Guayaquil or Manta airports for domestic or international travel, this clarification is highly practical. If your flight schedule falls within the 00:00 to 05:00 window, you can now confidently plan your transit to or from the airport. Always ensure you have your physical or digital boarding pass readily available for inspection. If a family member or trusted driver is assisting you, they too are covered under this exception, provided they are directly involved in your airport transfer. This update helps avoid the inconvenience of waiting inside the terminal for hours or missing flights due to mobility restrictions. Always stay informed about the latest government decrees, as regulations can change.

Sources: eluniverso.com; eluniverso.com; expreso.ec.

Image: AI-generated illustration.