Peru’s domestic airline market has been through a lot over the past few years: a pandemic, the collapse of several familiar names, and the arrival of new budget carriers. As of mid-2026, four airlines handle almost all domestic flying in Peru.
A handful of domestic airlines in Peru provide a quick and reasonably efficient way of traveling around the country. Most flights within Peru take about an hour, and there are regularly scheduled flights to most of Peru’s major cities (see a map of Peru’s major airports here).
On the downside, flying in Peru is quite expensive, especially if you’re on a tight budget. For example, don’t expect domestic flights for anywhere near as cheap as in India or Malaysia. Thanks to budget airlines, even flying within Europe can be cheaper than flying domestically within Peru.
The good news is that budget flying has finally arrived properly. Sky Airline and JetSMART both run modern fleets on Peru’s main trunk routes, and their competition has pulled fares down across the board. Just be careful with their add-on charges, as the cheap headline fare can grow quickly if you’re not familiar with their policies.
Gaps in Peru’s domestic flight network also mean that overland transport (bus, normally) is sometimes unavoidable. You can’t, for example, fly to cities such as Puno, Ica, or Moyobamba, at least not by any regularly scheduled flights.
Brief Reviews of Domestic Airlines in Peru
Below are Peru’s four main domestic airlines, each with regularly scheduled flights to at least a few of Peru’s major cities.
Determining which airlines are “the best” is subjective. LATAM arguably has the best service but tends to be more expensive. And due to their cheaper fees for Peruvian nationals, both airlines have been accused of applying a “Gringo Tax” to foreigners. That’s not true, but you do have to be careful when purchasing tickets with LATAM.
A LAN airplane (now LATAM) at Lima Airport in 2015. Photo by Tony Dunnell.
LATAM Perú (LAN)
LATAM Perú (www.latam.com), formerly LAN Perú, is a subsidiary of the Chilean LATAM Airlines. LATAM has been the dominant force in the domestic market for years, and as of mid-2026 it carries roughly two-thirds of all domestic passengers in Peru.
As well as flying to all major airports in Peru, LATAM also has international flights from Lima to various South American nations, the U.S.A, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Spain.
- Pros: LATAM Perú is a good airline, there’s no doubt about it. The service is solid, the planes (Airbus 319 and 320) are in excellent condition and flights normally run on time.
- Cons: It’s often more expensive to fly LATAM in comparison to airlines like Star Perú, Sky Airline or JetSMART. You also have to be careful with the fine print (it’s not so fine, to be honest). If you accidentally purchase a ticket aimed solely at Peruvian nationals, you could get hit with an additional US$177 fee at the airport.
Peruvian Airlines at Lima Airport. Photo by Tony Dunnell.
Star Perú
Star Perú (www.starperu.com) has been around in one form or another since 1997. In 2020 and 2021, Star Peru had a hard time keeping afloat due to the enormous economic damage caused by the pandemic, and they almost went under due to the lack of business. It pulled through, and as of mid-2026 it remains the third player in the market, with roughly 8% of domestic capacity, concentrating on the central and northern routes that the bigger airlines mostly ignore.
Star Perú has no international flights. Domestically, it flies from Lima to Cusco, Huánuco, Tarapoto, Iquitos, Pucallpa and Puerto Maldonado.
- Pros: Among the established domestic airlines in Peru, Star Perú is one of the cheapest. It’s a no-nonsense airline in terms of cost, with no hidden fees. Its accident record is also good.
- Cons: Reliability can be an issue with Star Perú. I once had to wait eight hours in Tarapoto Airport for a delayed flight; apparently, the plane had hit a truck in Iquitos (an explanation that left much to the imagination). You’re more likely to experience delays with Star Perú during the rainy season in parts of Peru, especially in jungle regions. Another annoying thing with Star Perú is the confirmation email after booking, or the lack of one. After completing a ticket purchase on the Star website, you should see a confirmation page. But some people justifiably wonder if it has actually been confirmed, expecting to receive an email confirmation. But that doesn’t always, or perhaps ever, happen. What you need to do is make a note of your reservation code (código de reserva), which should be six letters (e.g. UADPSV) and then click on the E-ticket tab on the Star website. Enter your code and your surname and you can see your confirmed booking; click on another button to see and print out your E-ticket.
Viva Air, which flew in Peru from 2017 until its collapse in 2023. Image from www.vivaair.com.
Budget Airlines in Peru
Peru’s low-cost scene has been through boom, bust and rebirth. Here’s where things stand as of mid-2026.
VIVA AIR PERU (NO LONGER FLYING)
Viva Air launched in Peru with plenty of fanfare in 2017 and for a few years was the budget option of choice, though rarely without complaints about delays, cancellations and refunds. The whole Viva Air group then collapsed in March 2023, stranding passengers across Peru and Colombia, and it never came back. If you see Viva Air fares mentioned anywhere online, that information is out of date. Sky and JetSMART now cover the low-cost end of the market.
SKY AIRLINE
Sky Airline (www.skyairline.com), the Chilean low-cost carrier, is now the clear number two in Peru’s domestic market, with around 20% of capacity as of mid-2026. It flies new A320neo aircraft on the main routes (Lima to Cusco, Arequipa and other major cities), and one-way fares can start at under US$30 if you book well ahead. Like most low-cost airlines, it has been criticized for its extra charges (luggage, etc.), which can add up and make it more expensive than a regular airline. So check the fine print carefully before you buy your ticket.
JETSMART PERU
JetSMART (www.jetsmart.com), another Chilean ultra-low-cost carrier, began flying domestically in Peru in mid-2022 and has been expanding ever since. It runs new A320neo planes from Lima to Cusco, Arequipa and a growing list of other cities, with headline fares that compete directly with Sky. The usual low-cost caveats apply: pack light or pay for bags, and read the fare rules before you buy. But for simple point-to-point hops it has quickly become a perfectly sensible option.
Regional Domestic Airlines in Peru
Smaller domestic airlines pop up in Peru every now and then, but few of them last for long. They typically operate along just one or maybe two routes, plugging a gap in the nationwide network. Some are subsidized by the government in order to help boost tourism in a particular city or region.
Regional airlines that have been operating in recent years include the two below. A word of warning: schedules, prices and even the airlines themselves change often on these small routes, so double-check everything is still flying before you build a plan around it.
- SAETA (www.saetaperu.com) — Subsidized by the Peruvian government, SAETA flies small nine-passenger Piper Cheyenne III turboprop aircraft between Tarapoto and Chachapoyas. The price? Just S/ 60 for Peruvians and other legal residents of Peru, which is about the same as taking the bus. Unfortunately, foreign tourists have to pay S/ 220, which is pretty expensive for a 25-minute flight. But it’s either that or the bus, which takes eight hours.
- ATSA (www.atsaairlines.com) — Another small airline, ATSA has very useful flights direct from Lima to Chachapoyas every Monday and Thursday. Tickets start at around US$65 one way.
Airlines That Are No Longer Flying
If you’re reading older forum posts or guidebooks, you’ll see several other names that have since disappeared. A quick rundown so you don’t go looking for them:
- LC Perú: Once useful for smaller destinations like Huaraz and Andahuaylas, LC Perú had its fleet grounded in late 2018 over insurance problems and slid into bankruptcy. It never resumed flying.
- Avianca Perú: The Peruvian domestic arm of Avianca was shut down in 2020 during the group’s pandemic-era restructuring. Avianca still flies to Lima internationally, but it no longer operates domestic routes within Peru.
- Peruvian Airlines: For years a solid mid-market player, Peruvian Airlines suspended all flights in October 2019 due to a “lack of liquidity” and, despite talk of a rescue, never returned to the skies.