The new Jorge Chavez International Airport —the new gateway to the Peruvian capital, Lima— began operations on Sunday June 1st afternoon with the arrival of the first flight from Madrid, Spain, amid anticipation to explore the new terminal, three times larger than the previous one.
The first aircraft to land at the new terminal on Morales Duarez Avenue was received with a symbolic water salute sprayed from both sides as a sign of welcome.
At the international arrivals gate, dozens of people gather waiting for their family members or friends arriving on flights from abroad.
Other flights scheduled to arrive within the first hour include those from Santiago de Chile, Panama, Toronto, and Bogota.
Before this opening, starting on May 15, a trial run was carried out with 116 international flights that transported more than 22,000 passengers, allowing for the adjustment of operational procedures and signage.
In the early hours of Sunday, Peru bid farewell to the old terminal of the Jorge Chavez International Airport, which for more than six decades had been the country’s gateway in and out. The farewell featured a symbolic blackout filled with emotion.
In a broadcast by Andina News Agency, the moment was captured when the lights were progressively turned off starting at 1:00 a.m., marking the beginning of the final transition toward the new air terminal, which from today will be the sole center of national and international operations.
“It was very beautiful. So many memories we have made here. I stayed until the end, with my daughters, waiting for them to turn off the lights. A chapter is coming to a close,” said a tearful passenger, as the atmosphere filled with nostalgia and farewell embraces.