Airport pledge for Cusco

Peru will seek to build an international airport near the southern city of Cusco, a tourist magnet that has long suffered from being unable to receive major flights from abroad, President Ollanta Humala said last week. “I will ask Congress to pass a...

Peru will seek to build an international airport near the southern city of Cusco, a tourist magnet that has long suffered from being unable to receive major flights from abroad, President Ollanta Humala said last week.

“I will ask Congress to pass a law to build an international airport in Cusco, and I ask for progress to be made on land purchases to that end,” Humala said in a speech.

Currently, foreign travellers must first stop in Lima before flying to Cusco and on to the fabled Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

There is a small airport in Cusco mainly for domestic flights, but it is surrounded by mountains and is too small for large aircraft.

The Cusco area welcomes about 3,000 tourists a day, many of whom are headed for Machu Picchu.

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