Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) mobilized a total of 18,619,536 passengers, this represents a 78.96% recovery in passenger traffic compared to 2019 levels. Lima (LIM) is positioned as the fifth busiest airport in Latin America.
Lima’s recovery was affected in 2022 due to health restrictions during the first quarter and the cancellation of domestic flights because of the social crisis last December.
Regarding domestic traffic, 11.7 million passengers were mobilized, an increase of 53% compared to the same period last year. For international traffic, 6.9 million passengers were mobilized, showing actual growth (119%) when compared to 2021.
“Despite the conjuncture, in 2022 we managed to reach 79% of the pre-pandemic passenger traffic (2019), and for 2023 we estimate more than 23 million passengers, a level very close to the 2019 traffic. Jorge Chávez International Airport, in Lima, continues to be an attractive hub for international connections” said Emilio Parada, Commercial Strategy and Marketing Manager of Lima Airport Partners.
“We have been able to recover the number of commercial airlines that operated before the pandemic, thus encouraging competition and giving our passengers a better offer according to their needs,” Parada added.
2022 Trends
In the domestic market, growth remained stable, with LATAM Airlines recovering more than 90% of its domestic operations as of July, and in June JetSMART Peru began flights at Jorge Chávez Airport (LIM).
The international market was the one with the strongest recovery, due to the lifting of sanitary restrictions, allowing airline operators to increase seat capacity, resume routes, increase flights, and launch new services.
North America
After more than two and a half years of absence, Air Canada resumed operations to Lima (LIM) with non-stop flights from Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL), reconnecting Peru with Canada.
In the U.S. market, United reactivated its route between Newark (EWR) and the Peruvian capital, after a suspension of more than 30 months, this service is complemented by the company’s daily operations from Houston (IAH). On the other hand, SKY Peru in June 2022 landed for the first time in the U.S. with a service between Lima (LIM) and Miami (MIA), becoming the only Peruvian low-cost airline to operate between Peru and the United States.
In Mexico was the fastest growing North American market, in June last year Volaris landed for the first time in Peru with two non-stop services from Mexico City (MEX) and Cancun (CUN) to Lima (LIM); LATAM Airlines increased its operations to Cancun (CUN) to 17 weekly flights; and Aeromexico in November reactivated a third daily flight between the Mexican and Peruvian capital.
Central America
Costa Rica was the Central American market with the highest growth. In June 2022, Volaris Costa Rica began operations between San José (SJO) and Lima (LIM) and in July of the same year, LATAM Airlines reactivated this route after a suspension of more than two years.
Colombia and Ecuador
In April 2022, SKY Airline began non-stop operations between Lima (LIM) and Bogotá (BOG); Avianca increased its operations on the same route with three daily flights; and LATAM Airlines reactivated routes from Jorge Chávez Airport (LIM) to Medellín (MDE) and Cali (CLO) in June last year. In Ecuador, LATAM reactivated its flights from the Peruvian capital to Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE).
Chile and Argentina
JetSMART Peru started in August 2022 its first international operations with a service between Lima (LIM) and Santiago (SCL); SKY Peru in October last year started non-stop flights in the same segment; and LATAM Airlines in Q4 2022 increased capacity on its route between the Chilean and Peruvian capital.
In Argentina, Aerolíneas Argentinas moved its operations on the route to Lima (LIM) from Ezeiza Airport (EZE) to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) and increased its services to daily flights in April. LATAM Airlines increased its operations between Buenos Aires and the Peruvian capital to almost three daily flights and in October resumed flights between Mendoza (MDZ) and Jorge Chávez Airport (LIM), these services are complemented by the route between Córdoba (COR) and Lima (LIM).
In September 2022, JetSMART Argentina landed for the first time in Peru with a non-stop service between Buenos Aires – Ezeiza (EZE) and Lima (LIM), being the second low-cost airline in this segment.
Brazil and Bolivia
In Brazil, LATAM Airlines strengthened operations on its routes to São Paulo – Guarulhos (GRU) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and resumed nonstop flights between Lima (LIM) and Porto Alegre (POA) in July.
In February 2022, Boliviana de Aviación expanded its international services with a new service between Santa Cruz de la Viru Viru (VVI) and the Peruvian capital, initially starting with four weekly flights and increasing to daily flights in July.
Europe
In the Old Continent, the Air France – KLM group resumed daily flights between Lima (LIM) and Amsterdam (AMS) at the end of March operated by Boeing 777 aircraft and in November the service between the Peruvian capital and Paris (CDG) increased to daily flights by Airbus A350-900.
See also: MTC and LAP Agree to continue with works at Jorge Chávez
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