Flight disruption has once again gripped Peru’s skies, with a fresh wave of cancellations involving seven key LPE-operated services hitting some of the country’s busiest domestic routes. Travelers heading to and from Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Tarapoto and several other cities are facing last minute changes, missed connections and extended airport waits as airlines adjust schedules and ground selected departures. The latest cancellations come on top of a series of operational setbacks over recent months, underscoring just how fragile connectivity has become in one of South America’s most tourism-dependent markets.
What Has Happened to LPE Flights in Peru
The latest incident centers on a cluster of LPE-coded flights that were withdrawn from the schedule with limited notice, affecting movements through Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima and secondary hubs in Cusco, Arequipa and key regional cities. LPE is the code used by LATAM Airlines Peru on domestic operations, and its cancellations immediately ripple through the entire national network because of the airline’s dominant position on core trunk routes.
According to operational data and airport reports compiled over recent days, seven of the most visible cancellations have involved services linking Lima with Cusco, Arequipa, Tarapoto and smaller regional destinations such as Jaén and Cajamarca. Individual sectors like Lima–Arequipa, Cusco–Lima and Lima–Tarapoto have all seen LPE flights scrubbed from departure boards, often at peak times that are heavily used by both tourists and local travelers.
While the total number of affected services across Peru is higher, these seven flights stand out because they touch the country’s principal tourism gateways, especially Lima and Cusco. For visitors attempting to reach Machu Picchu via Cusco, or explore the dramatic landscapes around Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, the cancellations have meant last minute rebookings, forced overnight stays and, in some cases, the loss of prepaid tours and hotel reservations.
The disruption follows a pattern seen repeatedly since late 2025, when LATAM’s Peruvian operations began trimming frequencies and canceling selected departures on short notice. The reasons cited have ranged from aircraft availability and crew scheduling to broader commercial decisions about the viability of certain routes, but for the average passenger at the gate the result is the same: a flight that never leaves.
Routes Most Affected: Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Tarapoto and Beyond
Peru’s domestic air network is built around Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, which functions as the country’s central hub. From there, airlines radiate out to major cities like Cusco, Arequipa, Trujillo, Tarapoto, Iquitos and Piura. When flights bearing the LPE designator are canceled, the impact is felt most immediately on these high-traffic spokes.
Lima–Cusco remains the single most strategic domestic route in Peru, tying the capital to the gateway for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Any cancellation on this corridor has an outsized impact, especially during peak tourist seasons when flights operate near capacity. Recent LPE cancellations have removed key morning and late-afternoon departures, creating long gaps in the schedule and shrinking options for onward connections to international services departing Lima later the same day.
Arequipa, Peru’s second city and a major business and tourism center in the south, has also been repeatedly affected. Multiple LPE flights between Lima and Arequipa, as well as links between Arequipa and Cusco, have been pulled from the roster, disrupting regional connectivity that many domestic travelers rely on for work and family visits. Because distances between these cities are significant and overland travel can be time consuming, the loss of even a small number of flights can translate into a full day of delay.
Further north and east, destinations such as Tarapoto and Jaén have experienced intermittent cancellations as LPE adjusts its operations. While these cities see fewer daily frequencies than Cusco or Arequipa, each lost departure can strand passengers for twenty-four hours or more, particularly in cases where there is only one daily service. For local communities that depend on air links for medical travel, business and access to government services, the impact extends well beyond tourism.
Why These Cancellations Are Happening Now
The immediate causes of LPE’s latest round of cancellations vary by flight, but several broader pressures are converging on Peru’s aviation sector. One long-running issue has been fleet and crew optimization. As airlines across Latin America adjust to post-pandemic demand patterns and confront higher operating costs, they are trimming less profitable services and consolidating frequencies onto the most commercially viable departures.
LATAM Airlines Peru, which operates the bulk of LPE-coded flights, has in recent months already announced the discontinuation of some international routes from Lima and signaled a rebalancing of capacity on certain domestic sectors. Industry reports have highlighted that the carrier is re-evaluating how best to utilize its Airbus A319 and A320 fleets as it navigates fuel prices, currency volatility and regulatory changes in Peru’s airport environment.
Another factor is the strain on airport infrastructure and the cost framework that airlines face at Lima’s Jorge Chávez hub. A new unified transfer fee and other charges have become a point of tension between airlines and the airport operator, feeding into broader debates over the sustainability of scheduled growth and the profitability of connecting traffic. While the latest seven cancellations are not officially tied to this dispute, they are unfolding in the same context of heightened financial scrutiny on each route.
Operational challenges also play a role. Aircraft rotations in Peru are tightly scheduled, with the same jet often flying several domestic legs per day. A delay or technical issue early in the rotation can quickly cascade, forcing airlines to cancel downstream flights rather than allow the disruption to spread into the late evening. When this happens on days with high demand or limited backup aircraft, routes to secondary cities such as Tarapoto or Cajamarca can be particularly vulnerable.
Impact on Travelers and the Tourism Sector
For affected passengers, the most immediate consequences of LPE cancellations are the familiar ones: long lines at customer service desks, uncertain rebooking options and the stress of rearranging plans on the fly. Travelers bound for Lima often miss their international connections, while those aiming for Cusco, Arequipa or Tarapoto can find themselves forced to spend unplanned nights in Lima or in regional cities with limited accommodation choices.
Tourism operators are sounding the alarm as well. Cusco, in particular, depends heavily on reliable air access to feed visitors into the city and onward to Machu Picchu. When peak-time flights are canceled, tour groups may arrive late, cut short their stays or in some cases cancel altogether. Small hotels and guesthouses in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, which rely on steady occupancy, are especially exposed to last-minute fluctuations in arrivals.
Arequipa’s tourism sector feels similar pain when flights disappear from the departure board. The city’s colonial center, nearby volcanoes and the Colca Canyon attract both foreign visitors and Peruvians from other regions. Cancellations on Lima–Arequipa and Cusco–Arequipa services can compress itineraries and push travelers to drop certain excursions, reducing revenue for local guides, transportation providers and restaurants.
Beyond tourism, domestic connectivity is critical for Peru’s broader economy. Business travelers, government officials and residents seeking medical care in the capital depend on predictable flight schedules. When LPE cancels services to cities like Jaén or Cajamarca, travelers may need to rebook on other carriers, accept much longer itineraries via alternative airports or postpone their trips entirely. Over time, this erodes confidence in air travel as a reliable option, particularly for those who have more limited flexibility or budgets.
How Airlines and Authorities Are Responding
In the wake of the latest wave of disruptions, LATAM’s Peruvian arm and other operators are under pressure to demonstrate that they can stabilize schedules and offer passengers better predictability. Internal schedule reviews are underway, with a growing emphasis on concentrating capacity on core routes at times of day that align with both local demand and key international connections.
Airlines have been trying to soften the immediate impact through standard mitigation measures such as free rebooking onto later flights, endorsement of tickets onto partner airlines when space is available and, in some cases, hotel accommodation for those facing overnight delays. However, the finite number of alternative departures, especially to secondary cities, means that not all passengers can be accommodated as quickly as they would like.
On the regulatory side, Peruvian aviation authorities are closely monitoring on-time performance and cancellation rates, particularly on lifeline routes that connect remote regions with the capital. While the country’s consumer protection framework offers some recourse for passengers, including assistance and refunds, the practical challenge lies in ensuring that travelers are promptly informed and that airlines meet their obligations during irregular operations.
At Lima’s Jorge Chávez airport, operators are also looking at how to improve communication when multiple flights are canceled in quick succession. Clearer announcements, better use of real-time displays and more visible ground staff can mitigate some of the frustration that builds when passengers feel they are left in the dark. For now, though, much of the burden falls on airlines to proactively update customers and provide realistic estimates for alternative travel options.
What Affected Passengers Should Do Now
For travelers currently in Peru or planning trips in the coming weeks, the latest series of LPE cancellations underscores the importance of active trip management. Passengers with upcoming flights involving Lima, Cusco, Arequipa or Tarapoto should monitor their bookings frequently in the days and hours before departure, using both airline apps and direct communication channels to confirm that their flights are still operating.
Those who discover that their LPE flight has been canceled should contact the airline as soon as possible, either online or at the airport, to secure space on the next available service. During periods of disruption, same-day alternatives on popular routes can fill quickly, so an early start increases the chances of re-accommodation. Travelers connecting to or from international services should also alert their long-haul carriers, which may be able to adjust onward segments when provided with timely information.
Travel insurance with coverage for cancellations and schedule disruptions can prove particularly valuable in the current environment. Policies that reimburse extra hotel nights, meals and missed excursions help cushion the financial blow of an unexpected change. Tourists visiting Machu Picchu or the Colca Canyon, where access is often tied to fixed dates and timed entry slots, should keep all receipts and documentation, as these will be required when filing claims.
Finally, flexibility remains one of the best tools travelers can bring to Peru right now. Building in at least one buffer day between international arrivals and time-sensitive bucket-list experiences, and avoiding the tightest possible connections between domestic and international sectors, will reduce the risk that a single cancellation derails an entire itinerary. While this may add modestly to the overall length and cost of a trip, it can make the difference between a stressful scramble and a manageable inconvenience.
Longer Term Outlook for Air Travel in Peru
The recent cancellations of seven key LPE flights are part of a broader recalibration underway in Peru’s aviation market. As airlines refine their route networks and adjust to evolving economic pressures, travelers should expect continued tweaking of schedules, including the reduction or consolidation of some services that have historically been mainstays of the domestic network.
For Lima, which sits at the center of this web, the challenge will be balancing the demands of its role as a regional hub with the need to maintain robust connectivity to Peru’s interior. The capital’s new airport infrastructure is designed to support long-term growth, but airline decisions about where and how often to fly will ultimately determine how well that promise is realized for travelers heading to iconic destinations such as Cusco, Arequipa and the northern Amazon.
Regional cities are likely to press both airlines and authorities to safeguard a minimum level of service, especially where air links are crucial for economic development and social cohesion. Partnerships, code shares and better coordination across carriers could help fill gaps when a single operator cuts capacity. At the same time, investment in complementary transport infrastructure, such as improved road and rail links, may become more urgent to reduce overreliance on a handful of key flights.
For visitors and residents alike, the message is clear: while Peru remains one of South America’s most compelling destinations, its air connectivity is in a period of adjustment. By planning carefully, staying informed and allowing extra room for the unexpected, travelers can still experience the country’s remarkable landscapes and cultures, even as the nation’s airlines work through a challenging chapter marked by cancellations like those currently affecting LPE routes to Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Tarapoto and beyond.