AeroGal is starting a nonstop flight from New York City to Guayaquil on Dec. 7.
The Ecuadorian carrier will operate the daily flights on Boeing 767s seating 210 passengers (25 in business class and 185 in coach).
The airline expects the new service to attract leisure travelers and native Ecuadorians shuttling back and forth to their homeland.
Ecuadorians are the largest South American Latino group in New York, AeroGal said, with the highest concentration in New York's borough of Queens, where Kennedy Airport is located.
Overall, Latin America travel has fared much better than other markets during the pullback on global travel due to the recession, according to IATA.
"Travel to South America for business and leisure has continued to thrive even in these tough economic times,” said Janice Holden, chief commercial officer of JFK IAT, operator of Terminal 4 at Kennedy.
AeroGal was formed as a small domestic airline in Ecuador in 1985. Seven years later, it started its international expansion, which included its flights to and from Miami.
In-flight service includes traditional Ecuadorian appetizers (empanadas de morocho and chifles). Menus often highlight regional specialties.