Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Jorge Chávez International Airport is Peru's principal gateway, situated in Callao on the Pacific coast just northwest of central Lima. Operated by Lima Airport Partners under a Fraport-led concession, it is one of the busiest and most modern airports in South America and serves as the main hub for international and domestic traffic in and out of the country. For a visiting simulator pilot it offers a large, well-equipped international field with full radar and tower services.
Jorge Chávez International Airport serves the Lima metropolitan area from its site in Callao, on Peru's Pacific coast. It is operated by Lima Airport Partners, a consortium majority-owned by the German transport group Fraport, and functions as the principal hub for Peru's flag and regional carriers. For a visiting pilot it represents a major international aerodrome with full air traffic control, an ILS-equipped approach, and heavy mixed jet traffic, making it a rewarding but busy destination to fly into on the simulator.
The airport lies in Callao, about 11 kilometres northwest of the Historic Centre of Lima and roughly 17 kilometres from the Miraflores district, on Peru's Pacific coastline. Air traffic control for the field is provided by CORPAC, Peru's state air navigation and airport corporation, within the busy Lima terminal airspace that overlies the capital and its coastal approaches.
Jorge Chávez International Airport is equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS) to support approaches to its runways. The field sits at an elevation of 112 feet.
Pilots should expect the following frequencies at Jorge Chávez: Lima Approach (APP) on 119.7 MHz, ATIS on 127.9 MHz, Lima Clearance Delivery (CLD) on 118.5 MHz, Ground (GND) on 121.9 MHz, Lima Radio (RDO) on 664.9 MHz, and Lima Tower (TWR) on 118.1 MHz. The airport is ILS-equipped for instrument approaches.
The airport was conceived in 1960 to replace the old Limatambo International Airport in the San Isidro district, which had become surrounded by residential development. Its first international flight operated on 22 June 1960, and it was formally inaugurated as Lima International Airport on 29 October 1960 by President Manuel Prado Ugarteche. In June 1965 it was renamed Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez in honour of the Peruvian aviator Jorge Chávez Dartnell (1887-1910), and in December 1965, after eleven months of reconstruction, the terminal building was officially reopened by President Fernando Belaúnde; its design, by architects Carlos Arana, Antenor Orrego, Juan Torres, Miguel Bao and Luis Vásquez, was considered among the most advanced in Latin America at the time. The airport saw little structural change for some three decades until a 2001 concession awarded to Lima Airport Partners led to a comprehensive remodelling programme, including a new terminal concourse completed in 2005 and further expansion from 2009. A second runway and new control tower entered service on 3 April 2023, and a new passenger terminal opened on 1 June 2025, with the former terminal subsequently considered for logistics or additional capacity use. The airport's early decades also saw serious accidents, including the loss of Varig Flight 810 in 1962 after a go-around, and the crash of an Argentine Air Force Douglas C-54 in 1964 during a poor-visibility approach.
Jorge Chávez International Airport is now among the busiest air hubs in South America, handling over 27 million passengers a year and serving as the main base for several Peruvian and regional carriers. It is owned by Fraport and operated by Lima Airport Partners, with air traffic services provided by CORPAC. Following the completion of a second runway and new control tower in 2023 and the opening of a new passenger terminal in June 2025, the airport continues to expand its capacity to meet growing international and domestic demand.