Airport guide
Manta AirportIATA code MEC
Manta Airport (MEC/SEMT) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Manta, Ecuador in South America. The airfield connects travelers with essential regional transit routes and operating carrier options.
- Serves
- Manta, Ecuador
- Codes
- MEC · SEMT
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- America/Guayaquil
- Region
- South America
Manta Airport (MEC/SEMT) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Manta, Ecuador in South America. Operating on America/Guayaquil local time at coordinates -0.950°, -80.680°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Travelers navigating Manta Airport (MEC) are encouraged to confirm terminal layouts, ground transport connections into Manta, and flight schedules with their operating carrier prior to travel.
Manta Airport details
- IATA code
- MEC
- ICAO code
- SEMT
- City
- Manta
- Country
- Ecuador
- Region
- South America
- Time zone
- America/Guayaquil
- Coordinates
- -0.946°, -80.679°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 10 Jul 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against Manta Airport’s own pages.
MEC airport facts
- Size class
- Medium airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 15 m (48 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Opened
- 24 October 1978
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026) — date of official opening
- Passengers, 2018
- 83,134
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026), citing ecuadorencifras.gob.ec (opens in a new tab)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- General Ulpiano Paez International Airport SNC · 145 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at MEC
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
One open runway, lit. The runway 05/23: 2,860 m, asphalt.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/23 | 2,860 m9,383 ft | 45 m | asphalt | Lit |
Routes from MEC
Originfacts does not track any routes from MEC yet, so no route records are listed here. Check current schedules with the airlines or the airport.
Where MEC is
4.2 km east
Manta Airport lies 4.2 km east of Manta city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at MEC
Terminal assignments, ground transport into Manta, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against Manta Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Airports near Manta
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
- SalinasGeneral Ulpiano Paez AirportSNC143 km
- GuayaquilJose Joaquin de Olmedo AirportGYE159 km
- LatacungaCotapaxi International AirportLTX231 km
- EsmeraldasEsmeraldas AirportESM243 km
- QuitoMariscal Sucre International AirportUIO259 km
- CuencaMariscal Lamar International AirportCUE286 km
- Santa RosaCoronel Artilleria Victor Larrea AirportETR289 km
- TumbesCapitan FAP Pedro Canga Rodriguez AirportTBP293 km
- LojaCiudad de Catamayo AirportLOH368 km
Manta Airport: common questions
Where is Manta Airport?
Manta Airport serves Manta, Ecuador. Its coordinates in OurAirports are -0.946°, -80.679°.
What are the airport codes for Manta Airport?
The IATA code is MEC and the ICAO code is SEMT.
What time zone is MEC in?
Manta Airport is in the America/Guayaquil time zone.
How many runways does Manta Airport have?
OurAirports lists one open runway at MEC: 05/23 (2,860 m (9,383 ft), asphalt).
When did Manta Airport open?
Wikidata gives 24 October 1978 as its official opening date.
How many passengers use Manta Airport?
Wikidata records 83,134 passengers for 2018, the latest year it holds.
Who operates Manta Airport?
Per Wikidata, MEC is operated by Ecuadorian Armed Forces.
How far is MEC from Manta city centre?
Manta Airport is about 4.2 km east of Manta city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
What is the elevation of Manta Airport?
OurAirports gives MEC’s elevation as 15 m (48 ft) above sea level.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from Manta Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record10 Jul 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q1444671 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)