The Peruvian subsidiary of Latam Airlines announced this Wednesday the suspension of its Lima-Orlando route , which was scheduled to open on October 26.
The announcement comes days before the fee goes into effect. The airline emphasized that this charge increases the cost of air travel and makes Lima less competitive compared to other airports in the region that do not charge fees for connecting passengers.
The company indicated in a statement that the decision is due to the collection of the Unified Airport Use Fee (TUUA) for passengers on international connections at Jorge Chávez International Airport, which serves the capital.
"The conditions are not favorable for launching a new route, considering the Unified Airport Use Fee (TUUA) for transfers that the Lima Airport Partners (LAP) concessionaire announced it will begin charging starting October 27," the airline stated.
LATAM announced that the Lima-Orlando route will remain suspended until November 30, 2025, while market conditions are re-evaluated.
Last week, the company led by Roberto Alvo decided to cancel the Lima-Havana (Cuba) route. Its fellow low-cost airline, Sky Airline, had done the same with the Lima-Cancún (Mexico) route.
Latam's view is, the fee directly impacts the competitiveness of the route, which carries approximately 50% of connecting passengers.This would increase travel costs and make the Lima hub less attractive compared to other airports in the region that do not charge this fee, such as Panama City and Bogotá.
The suspension of the start of operations between Lima and Orlando will remain in place, in principle, until November 30, 2025.
LATAM announced that all passengers who purchased tickets on the Lima-Orlando route (or vice versa) for dates between October 26 and November 30, 2025, will be contacted.
The route's suspension revives the debate over the TUUA, which applies in Peru to all passengers boarding international flights and now also includes those in transit.
