Chinchero International Airport, to be built in Southern Cusco region, will offer direct flights to six Latin American countries, Deputy Tourism Minister Roger Valencia stated.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay and Panama are those countries.
"We want to fly from Chinchero to northern Chile and Argentina; Brazil’s interior, including the cities of Puerto Iguazu, Cuiaba and Manaos," he told official newspaper El Peruano.
Mr. Valencia also expressed his desire to promote flights from Cusco to Guayaquil (Ecuador), Paraguay, Panama and other selected destinations.
In this sense, Chinchero's air terminal will complement Lima-based Jorge Chavez International Airport.
"Furthermore, we do not only want to boost air transport in the southern area of the country, because Chinchero will provide Peru with an opportunity to connect itself in an intra-regional way [among provinces]," he affirmed.
Likewise, the terminal will receive 6 million passengers a year, a major increase over the 2.5 million currently passing by Cusco's Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport.
Facilities will include 11 boarding gates and 13 jetways.
Thanks to this project, Cusco will once again position itself as a tourist and cultural region.
Airport construction and operation is set to generate over 2,500 jobs, and the venture is expected to yield US$63 billion over its 35-year concession.
One of the terminal's main features is its size: 40,000 square meters of modern, landscape-friendly facilities.
In addition to large commercial airplanes —of up to 320 passengers— Cusco's new airport will be able to receive cargo aircrafts thanks to its ample runway, 4 km long and 45 m wide, thus contributing to Andean exports.
Construction works are to be completed in 2021.
(END) DOP/CNA/JHM/MVB