2008

QUITO (Reuters) - Chile’s dominant airline LAN Airlines S.A., was granted a two-year concession to operate domestic flights in Ecuador, a top aviation official said on Thursday.

The airline’s Ecuadorean unit will be allowed to fly local routes to major cities like Guayaquil, Quito and Cuenca. The company will also operate flights to top tourist destination the Galapagos islands.

“The concession is for two years,” Guillermo Bernal, head of the national aviation council, told Reuters. “We want healthy competition in the local industry.”

Bernal said he didn’t know how much the company plans to invest in the Andean country, but added that LAN had expected its participation would boost the nation air traffic by more than 20 percent. The South American airliner has said is reviewing its investment plans due to the global economy slowdown.

Ecuador’s busiest route between the cities of Quito and Guayaquil registered more than half a million passengers in 2006, according to aviation authority data.

Local carriers opposed LAN’s application to operate domestic flights, arguing unfair competition with the major airline, one of the region’s largest air carriers.

Article copied from:  Reuters, U.K., http://uk.reuters.com/article/basicIndustries/idUKN1837906520081218.

This topic has received widespread media attention already, but staff at the Galapagos National Park’s “Fausto Llerena” Giant Tortoise Captive Breeding Centre recently announced that eggs fertilized earlier this year by Lonesome George appear to be infertile.  The 90-year old tortoise, last known member of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies, raised hopes for offspring three months ago when he finally mated with a female of a different subspecies.  Unfortunately, most of the 13 eggs in the incubator have undergone significant weight loss, and some scientists now believe that George may be sterile.

There was widespread excitement when Lonesome George finally mated, after having shown very little interest in sex during his decades in captivity.  George’s keepers had tried everything from artificial insemination to having George watch younger males mate, and had nearly lost hope of him reproducing.  Tortoises of George’s age should still be in their sexual prime, and captive breading programs typically have a high rate of success.  Some hope remains that a couple of eggs showing the least amount of weight loss may still hatch, but prospects do not look particularly good.

Source:  The Telegraph.

On December 15th, 2008, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced that the recently completed fuel-handling facility in Puerto Ayora was awarded official ISO 14001 certification by the Bureau Veritas Certification, a third-party certification body, verifying that the facility is environmentally sound.

“The facility underwent extreme renovations in order to meet certification standards, which are part of a 10-year plan developed by WWF and Toyota, in conjunction with the Ecuadorian Government, to transform high pollution energy systems currently in use in the Galapagos to more sustainable and renewable energy sources. It is one of only a few facilities in Latin America to hold this certification,” the press release stated.

For more information, visit:  http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2008/WWFPresitem11048.html

Source:  World Wildlife Fund

Frommer’s, publishers of the popular series of travel guidebooks, recently created a list of “11 Places to See Before They Disappear,” which includes the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos shares its spot on this list with endangered rivers, archaeological sites, and other places at risk.  Frommer’s writes in part:

“Legions of tourists who visit the Galápagos each year have helped and hurt the islands’ delicate ecosystem. But despite laws to protect the Galápagos, increased land and sea tourism, population growth (which brings pollution and habitat destruction), and invasive species continue to threaten the wildlife here. Fishing and poaching also threaten the survival of native marine life.”

Read more at http://www.frommers.com/micro/2008/11_places_to_see_before_they_disappear/10-thegalapagosislands.html.

Source:  Frommers

IGTOA would like to announce the arrival of a new Associate Member, South American Vacations, based out of Hollywood, Florida.  Their website is:  http://www.savacations.com/.  Please join us in welcoming them!

Their company description:  Our experienced travel counselors will help you choose the right ship and make all of the air and land arrangements before and after your trip.  You can extend your trip by visiting the Andean Highlands in and around Quito, the Ecuadorian Amazon, or Machu Picchu in Peru.  All of our tours are fully customizable.