As of now, travelers visiting Cusco and Peru’s Sacred Valley typically fly in and out of Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, but that’s all about to change. In late 2026 the new Chinchero International Airport is slated to open and replace the existing Cusco airport (CUZ). Currently, international travelers typically fly into Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport and then connect to CUZ, but once Chinchero opens, it will offer more direct flights to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The new airport, not yet assigned an IATA code, will be eight times larger than the existing airport, with the intent to increase flight capacity and provide an easier way to visit the popular destination.
Beginning construction in 2018, this airport will be the first in Peru to be built with eco-friendly infrastructure. Chinchero International Airport is expected to create direct and indirect jobs throughout the process and during operations once it opens. The Peruvian government reported the project already has a positive impact on the country’s economy by creating more than 5,000 direct jobs during the construction process; it will eventually foster more than 1 million jobs in areas such as tourism, transportation, hospitality and gastronomy.
Located in Chinchero, just outside of Cusco, the new airport will feature a runway, a passenger terminal with three floors, a control tower, taxiways, an aircraft parking apron, a general aviation apron and maintenance hangars. With these structures it will have the capacity to handle more than 6 million passengers per year and become the second-largest airport in the country, behind Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport. The airport’s runway will be longer and wider than the one at Alejandro Velasco Astete International, allowing larger aircraft to fly in from North America and Europe.
Chinchero International Airport is being constructed by the Natividad de Chinchero Consortium with assistance from Korea’s Project Management Office under a government-to-government agreement.
Although some locals and environmentalists have been wary of the upgrade, it is much-needed for the destination. Not only will the airport serve domestic and international travelers looking to explore Cusco and the surrounding Sacred Valley of the Incas, it will also provide travelers easier access to one of the new Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu.
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