Travel plans for hundreds of passengers in Peru were thrown into disarray after LATAM Airlines canceled 22 flights and delayed many others, disrupting operations across key cities including Lima, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Cusco, Trujillo and additional regional hubs. The wave of cancellations has left scores of travelers stranded at airports, forced to improvise last minute hotel stays, reroute complex itineraries, or abandon long anticipated trips altogether. The disruption highlights how fragile Peru’s air connectivity has become at a moment when the country is striving to consolidate Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport as a South American hub.
What Happened: A Sudden Wave of LATAM Cancellations
According to airport and industry sources in Peru, LATAM’s decision to cancel 22 flights in a short window of time coincided with already complex operating conditions at the country’s main gateway, the new terminal of Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport. The cancellations affected both domestic and regional services, with knock on effects for connections throughout South America and beyond. Passengers reported arriving at the airport to find their flights canceled at the check in counter, often without prior digital notification.
While the exact mix of flights varies by day, the disruption has primarily hit domestic trunk routes that link Lima with major cities such as Arequipa, Cusco and Trujillo, as well as flights to secondary destinations including Cajamarca and other regional centers. In several cases, one aircraft rotation being pulled from the schedule has created cascading delays, pushing departure times back by hours and leaving planes and crews out of position for subsequent legs.
The cancellations come against a backdrop of growing strains in Peru’s aviation ecosystem. Operational readjustments linked to the new terminal, logistical issues around fuel distribution and recent cost increases for airlines at Jorge Chávez have combined to create a more fragile operating environment. LATAM, as the country’s largest carrier by market share, has been at the epicenter of that turbulence, and any adjustment in its program reverberates quickly through the national network.
Major Cities Hit: Lima at the Center of a National Shockwave
Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport remains the nerve center of Peru’s air transport system, and any disruption there quickly radiates outward. With LATAM concentrating much of its domestic operation in Lima to feed regional and long haul routes, the cancellation of 22 flights has translated into a patchwork of stranded travelers in multiple cities. In Arequipa, Peru’s second city and an important tourism and business hub, passengers bound for Lima reported queues stretching across the check in hall and mounting confusion over rebooking options.
In Cusco, gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, delays and cancellations have been especially sensitive. Many international travelers rely on tight connections through Lima to reach early morning flights into Cusco, timed to allow same day transfers to trains and buses onward to Machu Picchu. When one or more of those flights disappears from the schedule, entire itineraries can collapse. Local tourism operators in Cusco say last minute reshuffling has become a daily chore, with transport, hotel stays and tour start times all having to be renegotiated in real time.
Further north, airports in Trujillo and Cajamarca have also seen ripple effects. These regional centers depend heavily on air links to Lima for both business travel and access to health, education and government services concentrated in the capital. With fewer frequencies available on affected days and some flights leaving significantly late, passengers have found themselves missing meetings, medical appointments and, in the case of international onward travel, long haul departures that are often fully booked for days afterward.
Behind the Disruption: Cost Pressures and a Fragile Airport Ecosystem
The immediate trigger for any given day of cancellations can range from aircraft rotation issues and crew scheduling challenges to localized logistical problems at the airport. But industry observers point to a deeper structural context that has made Peru’s system more vulnerable. At the heart of the debate is the new Tarifa Unificada de Uso Aeroportuario for international transfers at Jorge Chávez, a fee structure that airlines say has sharply increased the cost of using Lima as a connecting hub.
LATAM has already announced the suspension of six international routes from Lima, explicitly linking that decision to the implementation of the new transfer charge. Those cancellations, which will take full effect in late March 2026, include recently opened services to Orlando, Curaçao, Florianópolis and Tucumán, as well as planned routes to Guatemala City and Belo Horizonte that will no longer launch. The airline argues that the higher costs have altered the economics of routes heavily dependent on connecting traffic and has warned that domestic services could also feel the impact as aircraft are redeployed.
At the same time, the start up phase of operations in the new Jorge Chávez terminal has been marked by serious challenges. In recent months, a mismanaged fuel distribution system at the airport triggered a separate wave of cancellations and delays affecting thousands of passengers across all airlines. Although authorities insist that fuel stocks are adequate, the logistics of moving that fuel efficiently to aircraft have proved problematic, creating occasional bottlenecks that interact painfully with already tight schedules.
Stranded Passengers: Human Stories Behind the Statistics
For stranded travelers, the impact of LATAM’s cancellations is measured less in route optimization charts and more in lost time, added expenses and frayed nerves. In the departure halls of Lima and other cities, passengers have described spending hours in check in lines only to be informed at the counter that their flight has been canceled, with no prior email or app alert. Some who had arrived at the airport from distant neighborhoods or nearby provinces faced the prospect of paying for unexpected hotel nights or taxi rides home with no certainty about their rescheduled departure.
Families traveling with children, elderly passengers and international visitors with limited Spanish proficiency have been particularly vulnerable. With information desks overwhelmed, many travelers turned to social media and fellow passengers to understand what options were available. Photos and short videos shared online show crowds clustered around screens, waiting for updated departure times that shifted repeatedly as the day progressed.
In Cusco, tour operators reported last minute cancellations of carefully arranged itineraries when clients simply could not reach the city in time. Some travelers who had saved for years to visit Machu Picchu found themselves facing the choice between cutting their stay short or extending their trip and assuming additional costs for hotels and missed work days back home. The sense of frustration has been compounded by the perception that communication from airlines and airport authorities has been inconsistent and slow.
How LATAM Is Responding and What Passengers Can Do
LATAM has reiterated that affected passengers are entitled to a range of remedies depending on the nature of the disruption and the regulations in force. For those whose flights were canceled, the airline has been offering rebooking on later services, alternative routings via other cities when feasible, or full refunds. In practice, however, limited seat availability on peak domestic routes has meant that some travelers must wait days to secure a new departure, especially during busy travel periods and holidays.
Travelers impacted by cancellations or significant delays are advised to check their booking status frequently through LATAM’s app or website and to initiate change or refund requests as soon as possible. At airport counters, staff have been prioritizing passengers with imminent connections or urgent travel needs, but queues remain long during disruption peaks. Many passengers have found that digital channels, including chat and call centers, can sometimes yield faster rebooking than waiting in line at the airport, although these channels have also been under heavy strain.
Consumer advocates in Peru remind passengers that local regulations grant certain rights in cases of cancellations attributable to the airline, ranging from ticket refunds to support such as food vouchers, hotel rooms and ground transportation in specific circumstances. In practice, enforcement can vary, and travelers are encouraged to keep receipts for any out of pocket expenses, document communications with the airline and, if necessary, file complaints with the civil aviation authority or consumer protection agencies.
Wider Implications for Peru’s Connectivity and Tourism
The turbulence around LATAM’s operations comes at a delicate time for Peru’s tourism and aviation strategy. The country has invested heavily in positioning Lima as a regional hub that can link South America not only with North America and Europe, but also with emerging markets. A functional hub model depends on reliable schedules, a rich network of connections and cost conditions that make routing through Lima attractive compared with competitors such as Bogotá, Panama City and Santiago.
The cancellation of 22 flights in a short period is a visible symptom of a system under strain. When combined with the planned elimination of several international routes and lingering operational problems at the new terminal, the disruptions risk sending a negative signal to airlines and travelers evaluating route options. Tourism businesses in destinations like Cusco and Arequipa, still recovering from the impact of previous political unrest and the pandemic, worry that any perception of instability in air access could deter high value international visitors who require confidence in transport reliability.
At the same time, domestic mobility within Peru is at stake. Regions such as Cajamarca, Trujillo and other coastal and Andean cities rely on frequent air links to Lima to stay economically and socially connected to the rest of the country. When flights are canceled or consolidated, residents in those areas may find that vital trips become longer, more expensive or simply less feasible. Over time, that can influence investment decisions, conference planning and even where companies choose to locate regional offices.
Government and Industry Reactions: Searching for a Path Forward
Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications has been under growing pressure to respond to airlines’ concerns about airport costs and operational bottlenecks. After LATAM announced that it would cancel six international routes from Lima in 2026, officials emphasized their commitment to preserving the country’s status as a competitive regional hub and disclosed that they were in advanced talks with several foreign carriers interested in entering or expanding in the market.
Authorities argue that revenues from the new transfer fee are essential to finance airport modernization projects not only in Lima but also in secondary cities such as Chiclayo and other regional gateways. They insist that improved infrastructure will, in the medium term, enhance connectivity and passenger experience. Airlines counter that without careful calibration, higher charges at the hub can undermine the very connectivity that those projects are designed to support, especially in a region where travelers are highly price sensitive.
Industry groups are calling for stepped up dialogue between the government, airport operators and carriers to refine the fee structure, improve transparency around cost allocation and ensure that operational issues such as fuel logistics are addressed decisively. They warn that if current trends continue, more airlines may reevaluate the viability of certain routes, and passengers will bear the brunt of reduced options and more frequent disruption.
Practical Advice for Travelers Planning to Fly in Peru
In light of the recent wave of cancellations and delays, travelers planning itineraries in Peru over the coming months would be wise to build in additional buffers and contingency plans. When connecting through Lima, especially to or from high demand destinations like Cusco or Arequipa, it is prudent to allow generous layover times rather than booking the tightest possible connections. For those visiting marquee attractions such as Machu Picchu, scheduling key visits at least a day after arrival can provide a margin of safety if a domestic leg is disrupted.
Travel insurance that explicitly covers missed connections, cancellations and significant delays can also provide a measure of financial protection, though travelers should read policy terms carefully to understand what is and is not covered. Keeping essential items such as medications, a change of clothes and key documents in carry on baggage is advisable in case unexpected overnight stays become necessary. Finally, travelers should monitor their flight status proactively in the hours and days before departure and remain alert to schedule changes that might open the door to voluntary rebooking on more convenient alternatives.
Despite the current challenges, Peru remains one of South America’s most compelling destinations, with cities like Lima, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Cusco and Trujillo offering rich cultural, culinary and natural attractions. As airlines, airport operators and authorities work through cost and operational issues, passengers can still enjoy rewarding journeys by planning carefully, staying informed and allowing extra time for the unexpected in a system that is, for now, operating under visible strain.