1960: The Formal Introduction of an International Airport in Peru

October 29, 1960

In Peru, Lima International Airport in the seaside city and constitutional province of Callao made its public debut. This airport, which is about 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) northwest of the historic district of the country’s capital city of Lima, was officially opened a little over four months after its first international flight had taken place. In 1965, the airport was renamed after Peruvian aviator Jorge Chávez (1887-1910). He was a national hero who achieved global fame for his aeronautical accomplishments.

Jorge Chávez International Airport has become one of South America’s largest and busiest airports. It provides international flights not only within South America but also to Central America, North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. In 2022, Jorge Chávez International Airport was listed by international travel data company OAG as one of the world’s top 50 leading air hubs. (The accompanying photo of this airport was taken in 1960.)

Photo Credit: Hverap (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

Additional information on airports in Peru is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Peru