Jorge Chávez International Airport serves Lima, the capital of Peru. Although the airport is physically located in Callao, a separate constitutional province and port city, it is Lima’s principal international gateway and is commonly identified with the capital’s metropolitan area.
The airport opened on October 29, 1960, replacing Limatambo International Airport, which had become surrounded by expanding residential districts in Lima. It was originally called Lima International Airport. In 1965, it was renamed for Jorge Chávez Dartnell, a Peruvian aviator who became famous for crossing the Alps by air in 1910 and died after the aircraft’s landing gear failed.
With the IATA code LIM, Jorge Chávez is a major hub for airlines including LATAM Perú, Sky Airline Peru, and JetSmart Perú. It handles domestic Peruvian routes as well as flights across the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. The airport’s location can mislead travelers: Callao is the administrative site, but Lima is the capital it serves.