Peru’s air travel network is facing fresh turbulence as airports in Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Jaén report more than a dozen flight cancellations and numerous delays, primarily involving LATAM Peru, LATAM Colombia and partner carriers. The latest operational data, compiled around services on and after 10 February 2026, indicate mounting schedule disruptions on key domestic and regional routes, affecting both business and leisure travelers at the height of the southern summer season. The situation underscores how fragile regional connectivity remains in the face of cost pressures, operational constraints and shifting airline strategies.
Wave of Cancellations Hits Key Peruvian Gateways
Recent schedule analyses show that over 25 flights involving LATAM Peru and Aeroméxico were cancelled across Peru in the last several days, heavily impacting departures and arrivals at the country’s busiest airports, including Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport, Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport and Arequipa’s Rodríguez Ballón Airport. These cancellations span both domestic trunk routes and international services, including links to Mexico City and other regional hubs. The pattern marks a noticeable spike in operational disruption compared with typical seasonal fluctuations.
Lima, which serves as LATAM’s primary Peruvian hub, has seen repeated cancellations on routes that are critical for internal connectivity, notably Lima to Cusco and Lima to Arequipa. Many of these flights are operated by Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, the backbone of LATAM’s short haul fleet. Operational trackers and airport reports point to cancellations concentrated in peak daytime and evening banks, amplifying the knock-on effects for connecting passengers. Travelers have reported last minute schedule changes and a surge in rebooking queues at airline counters.
While exact figures fluctuate by hour, the cumulative impact over several operational days now clearly exceeds a dozen cancellations specifically on Peru linked services, alongside dozens of delays. This aligns with broader regional patterns highlighted by aviation data providers: on 10 February alone, LATAM Peru was associated with nine cancellations and 48 delays across its network in Peru, Cuba and Mexico, with Lima at the center of many of these disruptions. This confluence of issues has transformed routine travel days into a logistical challenge for airlines and passengers alike.
Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Jaén Bear the Brunt
Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport remains the most heavily affected facility. As the country’s main international gateway and domestic hub, even a small percentage of cancellations can cascade through the network. In recent days, multiple flights between Lima and Cusco, and Lima and Arequipa, have either departed significantly behind schedule or been cancelled outright. For many travelers using Lima as a connection point between long haul services and domestic links, missed connections and forced overnight stays have become more common.
In Cusco, the disruption has created particular anxiety given the city’s role as the main air gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Some Lima Cusco flights, such as LATAM services scheduled for 10 February, have departed with moderate delays of around 20 to 30 minutes, while others have been cancelled or re timed, complicating ground tour arrangements and onward rail or bus transfers. Tour operators in the region report spending additional hours reworking itineraries to align with altered flight schedules.
Arequipa, a key economic and tourism center in southern Peru, has also seen pressure on its air links. While some flights, including recent LATAM services between Arequipa and Lima, have operated close to on time or with minimal delays, the broader pattern of cancellations on adjacent days has dented traveler confidence. Business travelers shuttling between Arequipa and the capital are facing tighter buffers and are increasingly advised to build in extra time for potential disruptions.
Jaén, a smaller but strategically important airport for access to northern interior regions, has been caught up in the trend as well. Although traffic volumes are lower than in Lima or Cusco, any single cancellation can wipe out connectivity for an entire day on certain routes. Regional passengers relying on Jaén for access to Lima or other domestic centers have encountered rebooking challenges and, in some cases, lengthy surface detours when same day alternatives were unavailable.
Operational Strains, Network Changes and Cost Pressures
The causes of the current disruption are layered. On the operational side, airlines across the region, including LATAM Peru and LATAM Colombia, have been managing tight fleet utilization with little spare capacity to absorb irregularities. When a single aircraft rotation is delayed early in the day, downline flights can face compounded scheduling issues, particularly on high frequency domestic corridors such as Lima Cusco and Lima Arequipa. In this context, what might once have been a minor delay window more easily tips into a cancellation.
At the strategic level, LATAM Peru is simultaneously restructuring its international network from Lima. In December 2025 the airline confirmed that it would discontinue several international routes from March 29, 2026, including flights to Curacao, Florianopolis, Orlando and Tucumán, and suspend two additional launches to Guatemala and Belo Horizonte. The carrier has explicitly linked these network cuts to Peru’s new Unified Airport Use Fee for international transfers at Lima, arguing that the added charge for connecting passengers undermines the economic viability of hub dependent routes.
While these network changes are scheduled for later in the first half of 2026, the business environment that prompted them is already shaping day to day operations. Higher operating costs at Lima limit the margin for airlines to maintain lightly profitable or fragile routes during periods of disruption. Where load factors or revenue performance fall short of expectations, carriers are more inclined to consolidate flights or selectively cancel underperforming rotations, a trend that appears consistent with the recent wave of scrapped departures.
Additional pressures, including staffing constraints in certain operational areas and ongoing supply chain challenges related to parts and maintenance scheduling, further restrict flexibility. For carriers like LATAM Peru that straddle dense domestic markets and competitive international segments, any combination of high costs and operational volatility can quickly translate into observable disruption on the departure boards in Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Jaén.
LATAM Peru, LATAM Colombia and Partner Airlines Under Scrutiny
The bulk of the disruptions reported in recent days involve LATAM Peru, which operates a dominant share of domestic capacity in the country, and LATAM Colombia, which feeds and shares parts of the regional network. Aeroméxico has also featured among the airlines cancelling services into and out of Peru, particularly on Mexico City routes that rely heavily on connecting traffic via Lima. This combination of carriers means that both local and international passengers are exposed to the operational turbulence.
For LATAM Peru, the timing is particularly sensitive. The airline is rebuilding its financial position and attempting to balance growth opportunities with a renewed focus on profitability and cost control. Operational reliability is a cornerstone of that effort. Yet the recent pattern of nine cancellations and several dozen delays in a single operational day across its regional network, as indicated by data for 10 February, raises concerns among travelers and industry observers about the resilience of the airline’s scheduling model during peak demand periods.
LATAM Colombia’s role is more indirect but still significant. As a sister carrier within the LATAM group, its aircraft and crews often operate cross border or code shared flights that intersect with Peru’s domestic system. Any disruption in Colombia, whether due to weather, air traffic control constraints or local operational issues, can ripple into Lima’s banks of arrivals and departures. The result is a complex puzzle of shared aircraft rotations where resolving a punctuality problem in one market may create a short term gap in another.
Other regional and international airlines serving Peru have not been immune to delays, but recent analysis indicates that the highest concentration of cancellations is currently associated with the LATAM brand. This has prompted calls from consumer advocates and tourism stakeholders for clearer communication about the root causes and for a more transparent contingency plan to ensure minimal disruption to passengers with time sensitive itineraries, especially those traveling onward to iconic destinations such as Machu Picchu.
Real Time Data Shows Mixed Punctuality Picture
Despite the headline grabbing cancellations, not all flights are severely affected. Real time flight trackers show that some key services continue to operate with only modest delays or even near on time performance. For example, LATAM flights scheduled between Lima and Cusco on 10 February have in several cases departed roughly 20 minutes behind schedule, landing within a similar window of delay. On the Arequipa Lima route, certain services have been recorded arriving just one minute later than planned, demonstrating that day to day performance varies significantly by flight and time of day.
Nonetheless, this mixed picture can be frustrating for travelers trying to interpret the overall risk to their journeys. It is no longer sufficient to look solely at historical on time performance; instead, the pattern of recurring same day cancellations on particular city pairs, such as Lima to Cusco or Lima to Arequipa, may be a more meaningful indicator of potential disruption. Passengers whose flights operate within the morning or late evening peaks appear most exposed to sudden schedule changes, as airlines juggle the rotation of aircraft that have already been delayed earlier in the day.
Moreover, the gap between scheduled and actual departure times is widening on some services. What might once have been a routine 10 minute pushback delay is now more likely to stretch beyond 20 or 30 minutes when ground congestion, crew availability and air traffic conditions converge unfavorably. Even for flights that eventually depart, this erosion of punctuality can have direct consequences for tight connections, particularly for travelers linking a short haul domestic flight in Lima with an onward long haul service to North America or Europe.
For Peru’s aviation stakeholders, the challenge is to restore a degree of predictability without sacrificing the flexibility needed to manage an increasingly complex and cost sensitive network. That objective will hinge on closer coordination between airlines, airports, regulators and air traffic control authorities to smooth peak traffic flows and ensure that contingency resources can be deployed when disruptions begin to mount.
Impact on Tourism, Business Travel and Local Communities
The broader ramifications of the recent wave of cancellations and delays extend beyond airport terminals. Peru’s tourism sector, which depends heavily on reliable air access to Lima, Cusco and Arequipa, is particularly vulnerable. Tour operators have been forced to rework carefully planned itineraries, sometimes at short notice, to accommodate delayed arrivals or lost flight segments. Some travelers have had to cut short planned visits to secondary destinations in order to maintain fixed international departure dates, diluting the economic benefits that multi stop itineraries usually bring to regional communities.
Business travelers are likewise feeling the strain. Frequent flyers between Lima and other regional centers such as Arequipa and Jaén often build schedules around the assumption of multiple daily frequencies and relatively high reliability. When cancellations compress flight options into fewer remaining departures, meeting schedules, factory visits and contract negotiations can all be affected. For time critical sectors, including mining, agriculture and manufacturing, any reduction in dependable air service has direct implications for productivity.
Local communities in and around Jaén and other smaller airports face a more acute form of vulnerability. Without the redundancy provided by high frequency routes, any cancellation can mean the loss of same day access to health services, administrative appointments or educational opportunities in larger cities. These communities are often the least able to absorb the additional costs associated with last minute accommodation, surface transport or rebooked tickets, magnifying the social impact of what might appear as a routine operational decision from a central planning perspective.
For national policymakers, the situation serves as a reminder that air connectivity is a critical component of Peru’s economic and social infrastructure. Ensuring that the cost environment, regulatory framework and competitive landscape support stable, reliable air services is essential not only for tourism, but also for inclusive development across the country’s diverse regions.
What Travelers Should Do Right Now
In the current environment of heightened disruption, travelers planning to pass through Lima, Cusco, Arequipa or Jaén are advised to take a more proactive approach to trip management. Checking airline and airport updates frequently in the 24 hours before departure is crucial, as many cancellations and significant delays are being loaded into systems on the day of travel. Mobile applications and text alerts from airlines can provide early warning of schedule changes, but travelers should also verify directly on airport information boards upon arrival at the terminal.
Passengers with tight connections, especially those linking domestic flights through Lima to international departures, should consider building in additional time wherever possible. Opting for earlier domestic legs or overnighting in Lima the day before a critical long haul flight can offer a buffer against same day disruptions. While this may add cost and complexity to itineraries, it can reduce the risk of missed connections and unexpected overnight stays in transit.
For those yet to purchase tickets, a careful review of recent route performance is advisable. Travelers might prioritize flights with multiple daily frequencies, which offer more rebooking options in the event of disruption, and consider flexible fare products that allow changes without punitive fees. Where schedules permit, some passengers may opt for alternative routes or carriers that have shown more stable recent performance on specific city pairs, even if that involves a modest increase in travel time.
Finally, travel insurance that explicitly covers missed connections, delays and cancellations is becoming an increasingly valuable component of long haul or multi segment trips in and out of Peru. Policy details vary widely, so passengers should review coverage terms carefully to understand reimbursement thresholds, documentation requirements and claim timelines before departure.
Looking Ahead: Uncertainty and Opportunity for Peru’s Aviation Sector
As 2026 progresses, the outlook for air travel in Peru will be shaped by how effectively airlines and authorities respond to the current wave of disruptions. LATAM Peru’s planned network cuts from March 29, driven in part by the new airport transfer fee at Lima, are likely to reduce some complexity in the short term but may also limit the range of direct international options available to Peruvian and foreign travelers. If these changes are not accompanied by improvements in domestic reliability, the country risks diminished competitiveness as a regional aviation hub.
At the same time, instability creates room for innovation. Competing carriers could step in to fill some of the capacity gaps left by LATAM’s retrenchment, particularly on high demand leisure and business routes to and from Lima. Domestic competitors and regional airlines may seek to strengthen their presence in Cusco, Arequipa or Jaén, offering additional point to point services that reduce dependence on a single hub. Such developments would likely hinge on careful negotiation with regulators and airport operators to ensure viable cost structures.
Infrastructure developments, including the ongoing modernization of Lima’s airport facilities, will also play a critical long term role. Enhanced runway and terminal capacity, more efficient ground handling operations and improved passenger processing systems can all contribute to greater resilience in the face of irregular operations. When combined with more sophisticated scheduling, data sharing and contingency planning between airports and airlines, these upgrades could help stabilize punctuality and reduce cancellations over time.
For now, however, travelers heading to or through Peru should remain alert to unfolding conditions. The recent pattern of more than a dozen cancellations and widespread delays at Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Jaén illustrates that operational turbulence remains a defining feature of the region’s aviation landscape. With careful planning, flexible itineraries and close attention to airline communications, passengers can still navigate the system successfully, but the days of assuming smooth, automatic connections across Peru’s skies are, at least for the moment, on hold.