By: Karina GarayThis Thursday, May 15, marks the start of the trial run at the new Jorge Chavez International Airport —the gateway to the Peruvian capital, Lima— with a small fleet of airlines to test the recognition and use of the new terminal, set to officially open on Sunday, June 1.
The trial run is a transitional, trial stage prior to the official operation of a given system.
It allows for correction of issues that could hinder the functioning of a process —in this case, the optimal performance of the new air terminal, which is three times larger than the current one and whose entrance gate will be Morales Duarez Avenue in Callao region.
"Starting on May 15 and continuing through the end of the month, there will be a trial run with a reduced group of airlines operating international flights without connections. There will be real operations, there will be airlines whose departures will be from this new airport," explained Karla Urdiales, head of communications at Lima Airport Partners (LAP).
In an interview with Andina News Agency, Urdiales stated that from May 15 to 31, they will work with a group of airlines that account for 1% of the total operation at the current Jorge Chavez.
"We are here working 24/7. We have moved into the security area, and the operations team is already permanently in the terminal to guide the entire terminals team," she said.
She detailed that the coming days will be important for "the transfer of all ramp operators, the companies that provide support to the airlines, and the airlines that are parked at the old airport and must move to the new airport starting June 1."
A new way to travel
Karla Urdiales commented that the new Lima international airport has welcomed many people, both from airport community companies and opinion leaders interested in learning about its operations and technological setup.
"We have probably had more than 15,000 visits in total. There is a great deal of interest in the installed capacity, all the technological innovations, all the first-class infrastructure and technology that this new airport offers," she said.
The officer emphasized that the new Jorge Chavez aims to become an international hub, linking the country’s economic development, foreign trade, and tourism of the country with the imports and exports generated at the Port of Chancay and the Callao terminal.
"We are in a strategic zone, truly privileged to make all the air and maritime flows converge to generate greater development for Callao, Lima, and the country," she said.
Urdiales reminded the public that the new airport will have very well-defined boarding zones by letters. Domestic flights will depart from side A of the airport, while international flights will depart from zone D. The so-called swing pier or mixed boarding zone will be identified with B and C.
"We will have plenty of staff inside the airport to provide everyone with the necessary information about this new way of traveling," she stated.
Which airlines will fly during the trial run?
There will be five airlines operating during the trial run of the new Jorge Chávez International Airport, with a daily average of between 8 and 10 flights: Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Europa, Volaris, Arajet, and Wingo.
According to information provided by Canal N, the first flight arriving in Peru on May 15 will be from Aerolineas Argentinas. It will land at the new terminal at 8:00 p.m., coming from Buenos Aires. Another flight will take off at 10:40 p.m. heading to Argentina.
On May 16, flights will arrive and depart from Madrid, Mexico City, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, and Bogota.
"On average, about 700 passengers will need to be moved to the new terminal. We will be evaluating daily how the baggage handling service, the counter service, and the signage are working so that passengers can easily find their way within the terminal, which is three times the size of the current one," detailed Carlos Gutierrez, manager of the Association of International Air Transport Companies (AETAI).
The old Jorge Chavez Airport will cease operations on May 31 at midnight. According to the Ministry of Transportation, the new Jorge Chávez will allow for doubling the passenger handling capacity from 15 to 30 million annually.
Editor's note: English version by Jhaen Miranda.
(END) KGR/RRC/JMP/MVB
Published: 5/14/2025