TAME Ecuador (Quito International) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paola Carvajal says the Ecuadorian carrier will this year cut capacity and close several routes as part of cost-cutting measures.

Having racked up USD58 million in total losses for the past two years, Carjaval said TAME would this year park nine of its twenty aircraft which currently includes four A319-100s, five A320-200s, one A330-200, three ATR42-500s, four E190s and three Quest Aircraft (Sandpoint) Kodiaks in service with its TAME Amazonía (Quito International) unit. As such, to improve fleet cost efficiencies, the four Embraer (EMB, São José dos Campos Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf) twinjets will be removed from service with a further two unspecified aircraft to be returned to their respective lessors come August.

Concerning the airline's network, Carjaval said routes to be cut would include those from Quito International to Fort Lauderdale International, São Paulo Guarulhos, Tena, and Macas and from Latacunga to Coca.

TAME is also courting various investors willing to partner the airline under Ecuador's Public Private Partnership Act, she added. A decision is expected to be made by year-end.

In all, Carjaval expects TAME to return to profitability next year.