It has been a year since the opening of the new Jorge Chávez airport, which this year expects to receive 27 million passengers and is also preparing for the arrival of new airlines, according to the CEO of Lima Airport Airlines (LAP), Juan José Salmón. “At least five airlines are in talks to enter the Peruvian market,” he said.
During the presentation of the balance sheet for the first year of the new Jorge Chávez International Airport terminal, the executive reported that these companies are mainly European and Asian. It is hoped, he said, that a plan can be finalized with one of them by the end of the year for operations to begin in 2027.
When asked by this Newspaper about the status of conversations with Turkish Airlines and the possibility of Qatar Airways landing in Peru for the cargo business, Salmón confirmed that one of the airlines being discussed is Turkish Airlines.
“In the case of Turkish Airlines, it is at a very mature stage, and we are also having conversations with cargo airlines, such as Qatar Airways, which is not only exploring the cargo business but also the passenger business,” commented Paola Marín, general director of the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC).
In turn, she mentioned that with the new airlines, more passengers will definitely arrive, how many more? “With the arrival of a large airline, it can generate an impact of 4,000 additional passengers per month than what we currently receive,” the official said.
They also announced that new international routes and more frequencies are being evaluated, such as the inauguration of the direct Lima-Barcelona flight with Level airline.
“All this has allowed the company to project that this year it will serve 27 million passengers, a figure that is above the 25.79 million registered between June 2025 and May 2026,” Salmón comments.
They assure that many private and public actors are working hand in hand to attract new airlines to Peru. “The director has presented some routes that we aim for. The route to Milan, the route to Dubai, the route to London. But the effort does not stop there. The management’s effort will not only better connect Jorge Chávez and thereby better connect the country. It will provide the necessary facilities and freedoms to better connect regional airports directly,” the executive added.
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Opportunity and costs
In fact, both agreed that Middle Eastern and Asian airlines are recalibrating their plans due to the fuel crisis and its scarcity in other latitudes. Salmón indicates that the effect of high ‘jet fuel’ costs is perceived by airlines, but that in South America, the availability of aviation fuel is not a problem.
“There is an approach with airlines from Asia and the Middle East that see growth opportunities (in the region) in the face of the oil crisis,” Marín commented. For his part, Salmón added that the oil crisis poses a complex global situation that affects everyone. “It also affects us; we have to pay large amounts for energy, the consumption of oil by our own units, and a series of other elements also derived from that price,” he said.
What implications will it have? Salmón explained that the risk is operational, not commercial, as it represents 35% of airline costs. “Given the higher cost of fuel, airlines may raise air ticket fares, which can reduce demand or reduce capacity by canceling less profitable routes or frequencies,” he noted.
Economic impact of the first year
According to the Minister of Transport and Communications, Aldo Prieto, the new Jorge Chávez International Airport has contributed US$1.562 million to Peru’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This is in addition to the generation of more than 121,000 direct and indirect jobs in the first year.
Today, 23 aviation and cargo airlines, 19 hotels and restaurants, 17 shops, 10 platform services, among others, operate at the air terminal.
As published by Día1, Salmón noted that a few months ago, LAP awarded Cosco Shipping and Anjun Logistics the operation of the prime cargo warehouses at Jorge Chávez International Airport, which will allow connecting the port of Chancay with the airport terminal and strengthening it as a hub for e-commerce.
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