The government of Peru and Lima Airport Partners (LAP), operator of Lima International, have agreed to delay the introduction of a new USD12.67 charge for international passengers transiting through the airport from October 27 to December 7, 2025, while also suspending a USD8.01 charge for domestic transiting passengers.
The decision was made after intense criticism from airlines, which argued that the new charge would make the airport unable to compete against other hubs in the region, such as Bogotá and Panamá City Tocumen International. Several carriers said they would have to cancel some routes, like SKY Airline (Chile)’s Lima-Cancún, and LATAM Airlines Group’s Lima-Havana International.
They argued that Peru has not yet reached the international traffic levels it had before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the fees would further hamper the recovery.
During the Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) Airline Leaders Forum in Lima earlier in October, Manuel van Oordt, chief executive of LATAM Airlines Perú, said: "We have two very efficient competitors nearby, Bogotá and Panamá. Panamá not only does not charge a transfer fee, it is also connected to twice as many cities as Lima."
He added that Lima's rivals are not only cheaper but faster, with connection times of 45 minutes compared to Lima's 70.
In a statement, the government said it would amend the civil aviation law’s regulations to ensure transparent fare disclosure and that the supervisory body, Ositrán, will finalise the tariff-setting process in the coming weeks.
LAP defended the legitimacy of the new fees, arguing that they reflect the real costs of services provided, and that they are needed for the operator to recover its investment in Lima’s newest international terminal. LAP also stated that the fees were agreed on in 2013. It urged the Peruvian government to advance the regulatory process to subsidise the new domestic transfer fee, and to amend the regulations to establish a transparent fare disclosure procedure.
