From the beginning of the Quito International Airport project, corporate social responsibility has been one of the pillars of management to Corporación Quiport.

As the project continued, so did the approach in corporate social responsibility, which is currently understood as a sustainable development tool for communities and the environment.

Andrew O’Brian, president and director general of Quiport, explains that Quiport’s duty on social responsibility is directed towards the creation of programs and projects in connection with the sustainable development goals, in order to direct efforts more efficiently.

In this way, the airport is able to connect its management to achieve a positive impact on the 17 United Nations-sponsored goals.

“In order to adequately focus the efforts to work on sustainability on a global scale, on September 25th, 2015, the United Nations agreed to 17 sustainable development goals.

“Each goal sets specific objectives that must be reached in the following 15 years.

“Although it is true that social responsibility mainly falls on the governments, private companies have much to contribute in achieving these objectives,” highlights O’Brian.

Visitors from Consorcio Ecuatoriano para la Responsabilidad Social at Quito International Airport

The results of Quiport’s duty are visible and have garnered the attention of other companies and networks working on sustainability, such as Consorcio Ecuatoriano para la Responsabilidad Social, an organisation that coordinated a visit to the Mariscal Sucre International Airport, so that its members, including important private and public companies of the country, gained greater knowledge of our corporate social responsibility plan.

The visit began with a presentation given by Jaime Perez, environment, occupational health, industrial safety, and social responsibility manager at the airport, who allowed the visitors to become acquainted with the details of various programs, such as: reforestation, employment database, school scholarships, training, the garden, and carbon footprint certification, among others.

During the visit, which was held at the Wyndham Quito Airport hotel, the attendees and Quiport’s specialists had a discussion that addressed in greater details certain essential aspects of the social responsibility duty performed at the Quito airport and its surrounding areas. 

Subsequently, there was a tour through the waste water treatment plant, the incinerator, and the rescue and firefighting service station.

At each of these sites, the visitors were briefly explained regarding each of the processes carried out at these facilities.

One of the most important results of the visit was the fact that participants agreed to make time, so that companies could share their experiences, in order to establish better practices regarding duties with the community and the environment, promoting contribution to the country’s development.

OPIC visited the Mariscal Sucre Airport operation.

A team of observers from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation visited the Mariscal Sucre International Airport to find out about the impact of Quiport’s social and economic development project on the community, the city, and the country.

OPIC is a US governmental agency that advises companies to invest in emerging markets and it is one of the credit institutions that financed the construction of this airport.

Its executives interviewed representatives of the different stakeholders with respect to the airport, to understand how the project has made an impact on their entrepreneurial development, improvement of operating standards, and the quality of life of its employees and collaborators.

Representatives of OPIC also visited certain communities where Quiport’s social responsibility programs have been developed. 

At the end, they were pleasantly surprised by Quiport’s strong leadership, the favourable positioning of the brand among the stakeholders, and its efficient implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility programs.

World Travel Awards

Mariscal Sucre International Airport has been recognised as South America’s Leading Airport for the past three years by the World Travel Awards.

The airport will seek to defend the title at the upcoming World Travel Awards Latin America Gala Ceremony 2017.

The event will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Cancun, Mexico, on September 9th.