Travelers across Peru are grappling with a fresh wave of disruption after seven key flights operated under the LPE code of LATAM Airlines Perú were cancelled, affecting strategic routes to and from Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Tarapoto and other cities. The sudden scrubbing of services has stranded passengers at airports, complicated connections across South America and beyond, and added new uncertainty to an already volatile travel season in the Andean nation.
What Happened: Seven LPE Flights Scrapped in a Single Day
The latest disruption centers on a cluster of flights marketed under the LPE callsign, which corresponds to LATAM Airlines Perú, the country’s dominant carrier. Over a short window, seven flights were reportedly cancelled, affecting both high-demand domestic links and at least one international service. The cancellations have been particularly painful because they hit trunk routes that connect Lima, the country’s main hub, with major cities including Cusco, Arequipa and Tarapoto.
Among the affected services were an evening Lima to Cusco rotation and a Lima to Tarapoto departure, both of which typically carry a mix of business travelers and tourists heading into Peru’s interior. A Curaçao to Lima flight operating under the LPE2427 code, which feeds international passengers into the Peruvian capital’s Jorge Chávez International Airport, has also been listed among disrupted services in recent operational updates. In practical terms, each cancellation ripples out across multiple itineraries, especially where Lima is used as a connection point for onward flights across South America, North America and Europe.
While large-scale disruption is not uncommon in Latin American aviation, the concentration of cancellations on some of Peru’s most important domestic and regional routes has added urgency to calls for clearer communication from airlines and authorities. Passengers caught up in the cancellations report receiving contradictory or late information about their options, as ground staff and call centers race to keep pace with moving schedules.
Airline Pressures and a Fragile Peruvian Aviation Network
The cancellations come at a time when airlines in Peru are navigating a difficult mix of operational, financial and regulatory headwinds. LATAM Airlines Perú, which uses the IATA code LP and the ICAO code LPE, dominates the domestic market and relies heavily on Lima as its principal hub. Any disruption to its operations therefore has an outsized impact on connectivity to cities such as Arequipa, Cusco and Tarapoto, as well as on international travel that uses Lima as a transfer point.
In recent months, the airline and its peers have been contending with rising operating costs, including fuel, ground handling, and airport fees. Disputes between carriers and airport operators over tariffs at Lima have already led to the suspension or adjustment of certain international services, highlighting the fragility of the current operating environment. When margins are tight, even small shifts in costs, staffing or demand can cascade into cancellations when schedules become too challenging to maintain reliably.
At the same time, Peru’s domestic air network has been under pressure from both increased demand and periodic public health and weather-related disruptions. Peaks in tourism around destinations such as Machu Picchu, combined with growing domestic travel, have pushed airlines to operate fuller schedules with less room for operational slack. In this context, a cluster of cancellations such as those now affecting the LPE-coded flights exposes how quickly the system can become overloaded.
Passengers Stranded in Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Tarapoto
The immediate human impact of the cancellations has been felt most acutely in terminal buildings across Peru. At Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport, travelers reported lengthy lines at customer service desks as they attempted to secure rebooking or refunds. Tourists headed to Cusco and the Sacred Valley found themselves stuck in the capital or diverted to alternative domestic routes, with some forced to curtail or reshuffle carefully planned itineraries.
In Cusco, where air access is the primary gateway for many visitors to the region’s archaeological sites, cancellations on LPE services linking the city with Lima and Arequipa have led to backlogs of passengers hoping to leave. Some hotels and tour operators have been fielding last-minute requests to adjust bookings and excursions, as travelers struggle to match new flight times with pre-booked tours and train departures.
Further north in Tarapoto, delays and cancellations on services to and from Lima have complicated travel for residents and visitors in the San Martín region. Connections that typically allow same-day travel onward to international destinations are now less predictable, raising the risk that missed flights could strand passengers in Lima overnight. While local airports and tourism businesses have experience with weather-related interruptions, an abrupt wave of airline-driven cancellations on key routes has proven harder to manage.
Knock-On Effects for Tourism and Business Travel
The timing of the disruptions is particularly sensitive for Peru’s tourism and business sectors. February is an active period for both domestic vacations and international tourism, especially for travelers seeking to visit coastal regions, the Andean highlands and the Amazon basin before the shoulder season. Tour operators report that last-minute flight cancellations complicate ground logistics, from airport transfers to hotel check-ins, and can add unexpected costs when guests require extra nights of accommodation.
For business travelers, especially those shuttling between Lima, Arequipa and Cusco, the loss of scheduled LPE flights has undermined the reliability that many companies depend on for site visits, meetings and regional conferences. In industries such as mining, infrastructure and agriculture, where operations often rely on timely rotations of staff in remote areas, every cancelled sector risks delaying projects or forcing costly workarounds like charter flights or long-distance road travel.
Peru’s broader reputation as an accessible and well-connected destination is also at stake. While seasoned travelers may be used to building flexibility into their plans, first-time visitors can find complex rebooking processes and crowded airport terminals daunting. If similar waves of cancellations recur without clear explanations or remedies, it may influence how tour operators and international travelers plan their trips, with some opting for more conservative itineraries or alternative routings through neighboring countries.
LATAM’s Response and the Search for Causes
As of the latest updates, LATAM Airlines Perú has largely framed the disruption as a result of operational challenges, without attributing it to a single cause such as weather, labor action or infrastructure failure. Industry observers note that in practice, cancellations on the scale now affecting LPE services often arise from a combination of factors, including aircraft availability, crew scheduling constraints and congestion at key airports.
Analysts in the region also point to the broader context of recent tensions between airlines and the operator of Lima’s main airport over passenger fees and taxes. While those disputes have been most visible around specific international routes, they have contributed to an atmosphere of uncertainty for carriers already battling cost pressures and fluctuating demand. Against this backdrop, airlines may be more inclined to prune or consolidate services when conditions tighten, even if that means short-term pain for passengers.
For travelers caught up in the current cancellations, official statements can feel abstract compared to the immediate challenges of rebooking flights and adjusting plans. At airports across Peru, the most pressing concerns revolve around practical questions: when the next available seat will open, whether missed connections will be protected, and what support exists for accommodation or meal vouchers in the event of overnight delays.
Options for Affected Travelers: Rebooking, Refunds and Alternatives
Passengers on cancelled LPE flights have several potential avenues for managing the disruption, though outcomes vary depending on the type of ticket, the point of purchase and whether the journey is part of a larger international itinerary. In most cases, travelers are being offered free rebooking on the next available LATAM service on the same route, subject to seat availability. Where seats are scarce on popular Lima to Cusco or Lima to Arequipa sectors, this can mean significant waits, particularly for larger groups or families traveling together.
Some travelers, especially those with flexible itineraries or multiple stops within Peru, are opting to reroute via secondary carriers that operate on the same domestic corridors. Low-cost and regional airlines serving Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Tarapoto have reported an uptick in last-minute bookings as passengers seek to replace cancelled LPE segments. However, switching carriers mid-trip can complicate baggage handling, through-ticketing and protection on onward international connections, so it is not a seamless solution for everyone.
For those who prefer to abandon their current plans, refund options depend on fare rules and whether tickets were sold directly by LATAM or through third-party agencies and tour operators. Some travelers report smoother experiences when working through package providers, who may have dedicated contacts within the airline to manage group rebookings or secure credits. Independent travelers, by contrast, often find themselves navigating online forms, customer service hotlines and airport desks in search of timely solutions.
Planning Ahead: Practical Advice for Upcoming Trips to Peru
For travelers with upcoming itineraries to Peru, especially those involving Lima, Cusco, Arequipa or Tarapoto, the recent cluster of LPE cancellations underscores the importance of building flexibility into plans. Allowing longer connection windows through Lima, rather than tight back-to-back transfers, can create a buffer if flights are delayed or cancelled. Travelers with tours or train journeys booked in advance, such as those to Machu Picchu, may wish to arrive a day earlier than strictly necessary to reduce the risk of missing once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Booking travel with changeable tickets, even if they cost more upfront, can also prove valuable when schedules shift unexpectedly. Flexible fares and travel insurance policies that explicitly cover airline operational disruptions offer greater protection than the most basic promotional fares, which often come with heavy penalties for changes or cancellations. Travelers should review policy terms carefully and keep documentation of airline notifications, as these can be important when filing claims.
Staying informed is critical. Monitoring flight status in the days and hours before departure, keeping contact information updated within airline profiles, and downloading airline apps can help passengers receive alerts in real time. In the event of a cancellation, acting quickly to secure rebooking options is essential, as available seats on alternative flights can disappear rapidly when many passengers are affected at once.
What This Means for Peru’s Travel Landscape in 2026
The latest wave of LPE cancellations highlights how central aviation reliability is to Peru’s position as both a tourist hotspot and a regional business hub. While isolated incidents of disruption are to be expected in any complex air network, repeated or concentrated cancellations on critical routes risk eroding traveler confidence and placing additional strain on an already stretched infrastructure.
In the medium term, airlines, airport operators and regulators will likely face growing pressure to coordinate more effectively, improve communication protocols and address structural bottlenecks that contribute to cascading disruptions. For LATAM Airlines Perú, the challenge is to balance necessary operational adjustments with a commitment to maintaining dependable service on routes that underpin both domestic mobility and international tourism flows.
For now, passengers heading to or through Peru in 2026 should prepare for the possibility of schedule changes and stay proactive in managing their journeys. With thoughtful planning, flexible arrangements and close attention to airline updates, many of the risks associated with sudden cancellations can be mitigated, even if they cannot be eliminated entirely. As the country continues to refine its aviation strategy, the hope among travelers and industry stakeholders alike is that such episodes of widespread disruption will become less frequent, and that Peru’s rich cultural and natural attractions will remain accessible through a more resilient air network.