Lieutenant Colonel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport (TUA)

Lieutenant Colonel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport is the air terminal serving Tulcán, the capital of Carchi Province in northern Ecuador. Situated northeast of the city at an altitude of 2,941 metres, it functions as a regional gateway near the Colombian border and is named in honour of the Carchi-born pilot Luis Mantilla Guerrero, a pioneer of Ecuadorian military aviation.

The airport's first historic flight arrived in 1921, and it was officially inaugurated on 30 August 1947 under the name Aeródromo El Rosal. Classified as a second-category national airport, it operates during daylight hours and currently has no regular commercial service.

The passenger terminal covers approximately 2,700 m² across three blocks, with arrival halls for domestic and international border operations, a pre-boarding room, a passenger waiting room and airline counters. The single runway is about 2,400 metres long and built to accommodate aircraft such as the A320 and B737.

Located about 2 km from central Tulcán, the airport is connected to the city by taxi and road links. Its position near the Pan-American Highway makes it a practical access point for Tulcán, the Rumichaca border crossing and the Colombian city of Ipiales.