New Runway and ATC Tower to be Opened at Lima Airport

The tower and runway are complete and await final approvals before they can be used to start operations.

The next phase of significant expansion and overhaul at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport will be completed in the coming months. Officially, the airport's new Air Traffic Control Tower (ATC Tower) and second runway will be operational by April 1, 2023.

These facilities were completed by the end of last calendar year. They are currently undergoing final inspections and certification before they can be put into commercial service. Initial plans were for the new tower and runaway to open in this month. They will now open in the spring, despite undisclosed delays. Lima Airport Partners, the airport operator, confirmed that it will not seek any compensation from Peruvian authorities for the delays.

The new control tower, which is equivalent to a 21-story building, stands at 214 feet tall and will manage both runways. The second runway measures over 11,400 feet in length and connects to a network that includes new taxiways, approach lighting, beacons, and an updated ground infrastructure. Once fully operational, the additional runway will be capable of serving all types and aircraft.

Construction of the second runway, the new control tower and ancillary buildings started in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued through August 2022. Now, the project is awaiting the installation of air traffic equipment in a new control tower and training of air traffic controllers.

LATAM Airlines Peru's main hub is located 9.6 kilometers northwest of Lima.

A brand new terminal building will be the next stage of the airport's construction. The new terminal building is expected to be complete in 2025. Airport officials confirmed this week via Twitter that it is already a quarter-finished.

Three piers will be available at the terminal: one for domestic flights and one for international carriers and services. The third pier is for mixed traffic. The airport estimates that only 1% of passengers connecting to Terminal 1 will need to transit between the terminals. There will be upgrades to Terminal 1.
Airport authorities anticipate that Jorge Chavez airport will be fully online by 2025. This will allow the airport to host up to 30,000,000 passengers per year.

This week, government officials visited the new site and expressed excitement about the project. They also checked on construction progress. Juan Jose Salmon, General Manager at Lima Airport Partners previously expressed his hopes for the project.

"In 2025, we plan to receive 27 million passengers. Our proposal is to have a new Jorge Chávez Airport that year, with two terminals in operation, two airstrips, and a new control tower, which is ready, since its inauguration, to receive up to 37 million passengers.

"We will offer a modern, dynamic, efficient, and better experienced operation that will position Lima as a tourist and logistical axis in the region."

 

Source: simpleflying.com