They impose a new tax on those who make a stopover at an airport that is very popular with Argentinians traveling abroad

Since Sunday, December 7th, a stopover in Lima has become a special expense. The operator of the Jorge Chavez International AirportLima Airport Partners (LAP), began the collection Uniform tariff for airport use (TUUA) Transfer for passengers arriving from an international flight, using the airport facilities as an intermediary and continuing their journey to another international destination.

The value of the fee is $11.86including taxes that must be paid by the passenger while transiting through the Peruvian terminal. As LAP explains, this is a tariff that corresponds to the airport’s services and is available to transfer passengers during the boarding process.

The measure impacts Argentine travelers. According to what they stated Clarion industry sources, 70% of Argentine passengers traveling abroad connect in Lima Traveling to third countries, which means they have to bear these additional costs for using the airport as a stopover. It is important to clarify that the fee is neither charged by the airlines nor included in the ticket: it must be paid directly at the airport.

There is an “Important Notice” on the LAP website with information about the tariff and a link to online payment. At the same time, passengers will find signs and QR codes inside the terminal that are intended to speed up payment and avoid queues.

In a statement released on November 24, LAP reported that the approval of the TUUA was granted by Ositrán, the regulatory authority, ratifying the provisions of the concession agreement and its Addendum 6 signed between the Peruvian State and the airport operator.

As outlined by LAP, the authorization enables the collection of transfer TUUA for passengers on both international and domestic routes. The final approved fares are $10.05 plus taxes for passengers with international connections and $6.32, also plus taxes, for passengers with domestic connections.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), although the international connection fee came into force on December 7, the national connection fee will be suspended until further notice as part of negotiations to change its application.

The airport operator has also taken note of this It would be ideal to include this fee directly in the ticket Air, as is usually the case in the aviation industry. However, he assured that this was not possible due to the airlines’ decision, allowing alternative payment mechanisms, such as an online platform, airport agents with mobile POS and exclusive face-to-face modules for the collection of TUUA.

Inside Jorge Chávez International Airport, signs in Spanish and English inform: “Stopping in Lima? Pay the international connection fee. Skip the lines by paying online with this QR.” The message clarifies the amount to be paid, which is $11.86, and adds a sentence that causes confusion: “This does not apply if you purchased your tickets separately.”

The same text appears repeatedly in the terminal, opening a gray area in the implementation of the fee. According to the available information, if a passenger purchased two independent tickets, for example Buenos Aires-Lima, on the one hand; and Lima-Miami on the other hand; would not be considered a connecting passenger and therefore would not have to pay the transfer TUUA.

Sources from the sector related to air transport explained Clarion that the regulation applied in Lima differs from the regulation in force at other airports in the region, for example in São Paulo, where the airport usage fee for the transfer is included directly in the ticket. “In São Paulo the airline adds it to the ticket. When the passenger makes the purchase, he will see that there is a fee, namely the transfer TUA. The passenger pays it to the airline, the airline collects these fees and pays them to the airport operator,” they explained.

The same mechanism could have been used in Lima, but commercial negotiations between the airlines and the airport operator were blocked by the administrative costs of card payments.

“If the airline charges the airport, there is an administrative burden for the cards. In this case, the airport did not want to recognize this cost and demanded that the airlines cover not only the collection but also the cost. That is why they have not yet reached a commercial agreement,” explained the sources interviewed.

This lack of agreement meant that the transfer TUUA was not included in the ticket and had to be paid directly by the passenger during the stopover.

Regarding the scope of the measure, they clarified that “if a passenger changes in Lima within the same reservation and with the same ticket, he will pay this fee”, but that “in the case of two different reservations and two different tickets, the change does not actually apply.”

However, they warned that in these cases the passenger ends up having to pay another higher fee, even though they often don’t realize it. “If you have two different tickets, an exit tax will apply from Lima. This will be charged on the ticket as this commercial agreement has been in place for a long time. The transfer is not paid, but the departure, which is significantly higher: it is about 32 dollars compared to the 12 dollars for the transfer,” they explained.

A regional comparison by the TUUA shows that Lima is an exception. At most of the region’s major airports, such as Santiago de Chile, Bogotá, Mexico City, Panama, Quito, Guayaquil, El Salvador and Buenos Aires, The stopover fee is zerofor both one-way and return journeys. São Paulo appears as the only incidentwith a discounted rate of $2.5 one way and $5 round trip. In contrast, Jorge Chávez International Airport charges the highest fare: $11.86 one-way and $25.34 round-trip, making the stopover a significant additional cost.

In a statement released on December 7, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regretted the entry into force of the TUUA at Lima Airport and questioned the fact that an amicable solution had not been reached with the MTC and the terminal operator. According to the company, the measure is weakens the competitiveness of the country’s most important airport and limits its growth.

IATA warned that with the introduction of the TUUA, international traffic at Jorge Chávez Airport would grow by only 3% annually until 2041, while without this fee it could reach rates of almost 9%. In addition, he emphasized that other airports in the region that do not charge such a fee – such as Bogota, Panama, Santiago and Mexico City – have stood out for their growth in recent years Hubs regional.

“We regret that Lima Airport Partners acted only with its own interests in mind, without regard for the well-being of passengers or of Peru and its citizens. The TUUA will not only increase costs, but also limit the growth of Jorge Chávez Airport and limit flight options,” said Peter Cerdá, IATA Regional Vice President for the Americas.