U.S. Mission, Ecuador
Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Update Insel Air
February 7, 2017
This message is to inform U.S. citizens that, effective immediately, U.S. government personnel under Chief of Mission authority in Ecuador are prohibited from using Curaçao-based Insel Air for official travel. This message is an update to a February 3, 2017, security message. The U.S. Consulate General in Curaçao recently released the following information about the airline:
On December 27, 2016, an Insel Air flight bound for Curaçao was forced to land in Colombia due to an inability to pressurize the cabin. On January 13, 2017, an Insel Air flight bound for Miami lost cabin pressure and was forced to make an emergency landing. In the last six months, four other Insel Air flights have returned to Curaçao after takeoff due to pressurization or electrical problems. Other safety considerations have led Aruban and Curaçao authorities to ground a number of aircraft for further inspection.
This policy applies only to the official travel of U.S. government personnel and will be reevaluated as Insel Air’s safety condition improves.
For further information about security in Ecuador:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Ecuador Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Quito located at Ave. Avigiras E12-170 y Ave. Eloy Alfaro, at +(593)(2) 398-5000. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(593)(2) 398-5000.
- Contact the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil located at Santa Ana St. and Jose Rodriguez Bonin Ave., San Eduardo at +(593)(4) 371-7000. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(593)(4) 371-7000.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Dialing instructions within Ecuador:
- Within the same city and from a land line use the last seven digits.
- For calls from a mobile phone and for intercity telephone calls add the city code preceded by a 0.
Dialing instructions from the United States:
- Add the 011 prefix for an international long distance line.
