Análisis comparativo del transporte aéreo comercial
doméstico de rutas, frecuencias y aerolíneas desde y hacia el Aeropuerto
Internacional de Lima Perú del 06 al 17 de Marzo del 2023
Jonathan
Luis Cruz Pierard*
María
Gracia Ribadeneira Páez *
ABSTRACT
The
objective of the research is to conduct a comparative analysis of domestic
commercial air transportation to and from the Jorge Chávez International
Airport in Lima, focusing on routes, frequencies, and airlines during the
period from March 6th to March 17th, 2023. A descriptive quantitative research
methodology will be employed to define relevant variables and assess the
concepts related to the study's theme. The results obtained will be presented
in an analysis that will reveal the comparative relationships among airlines,
destinations, and routes of passenger air transportation within the Peruvian
context.
Keywords:
air transport, airport, airlines, frequency, routes.
RESUMEN
El objetivo de la investigación consiste
en llevar a cabo un análisis comparativo del transporte aéreo comercial
doméstico desde y hacia el Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez de Lima,
centrándose en las rutas, frecuencias y aerolíneas durante el período del 06 al
17 de marzo de 2023. Se empleará una metodología de investigación cuantitativa
de tipo descriptivo, con el fin de definir las variables pertinentes y
dimensionar los conceptos relacionados con la temática estudiada. Los
resultados obtenidos serán presentados en un análisis que revelará las
relaciones competitivas entre las aerolíneas, los destinos y las rutas del
transporte aéreo de pasajeros en el contexto peruano.
Palabras clave: transporte aéreo, aerolíneas,
aeropuerto, frecuencias, rutas.
INTRODUCTION
The air commercial market is defined as the
set of economic activities related to civil air transport, together with
airlines, airports, travel agencies, and other services. Airlines transport
passengers and cargo, operate aircraft, and are clients of airport services
(Acero, Fajardo & Romero, 2017). It is also important to note that the
level of influence of airlines at an airport, based on the origin-destination
routes they offer, generates market leadership that results in a significant
presence (Ribadeneira, Vega, Pierard, 2021).
Moreover, “an airport is an intermodal
transfer facility between land transportation and air transportation”
(Vreedenburgh, 1999, cited in Mendiola, Arévalo, Maratuech, Pérez &
Valencia, 2011), and it has buildings, facilities, equipment, systems, services,
and personnel dedicated to the arrival, departure, and movement of aircraft,
passengers, and cargo (Civil Aeronautics Law of Peru, n.d., cited in Mendiola,
Arévalo, Maratuech, Pérez & Valencia, 2011). Airports have become
connection hubs offering a wide commercial range for passengers, airlines, and
other involved service providers (Acero, Fajardo & Romero, 2017).
The Jorge Chávez International Airport
(JCIA), like most Latin American economies, began its participation in the air
industry in the early 1990s and concentrates the largest passenger flow in
Peru’s airport network, accounting for 62.8%, according to research conducted
by Cruz, Tello, and Cesar (2012), cited in Acero, Fajardo, and Romero (2017).
By 2008, the share of the main foreign airlines exceeded 60% of the total
domestic demand in Peru. According to IATA, cited in Avion Revenue (2025),
domestic air transport in Peru operates at 90% of its capacity, while
international traffic reaches 70% compared to 2019 levels. Nevertheless, in
2024, 24 million passengers were mobilized through this airport, once again
reaching pre-pandemic air traffic levels. This outcome not only demonstrates
the sector’s progressive recovery but also highlights its growth potential,
driven by the airport’s modern infrastructure, which will enhance connectivity
and optimize travelers’ experience.
Likewise, LATAM Airlines Peru began
operations in 1999, offering flights from Lima to Cusco and Arequipa. With its
significant growth and consolidation as a preferred air transport option for
Peruvian travelers, together with Jorge Chávez International Airport as its
main hub, the airline strengthened its market position by offering flights to
18 domestic destinations and 34 international destinations (Escudero, n.d.).
Subsequently, other important airlines began
entering this market, such as Sky Airlines Peru, considered the second-largest
airline in operations within Peru and the third in international traffic, which
began its journey in 2019 (Ventola, 2025). Similarly, JetSmart Peru quickly
positioned itself in the Peruvian market, connecting to 14 domestic
destinations from the capital. As a result of Lima International Airport’s
expanded connectivity, Parejas (2024) points out that the launch of routes with
significantly reduced fares has increased competition in the market, creating
new opportunities for passengers but also new challenges for competing airlines
and their pricing strategies.
In addition, the operations of other airlines
began to be added to the list, such as Atsa Airlines, which offers more than 15
weekly domestic flights from Lima to four destinations (Chachapoyas, Tingo
María, Huánuco, and Punta Sal) (Atsa Airlines, n.d.).
Therefore, the objective of this research is
to identify the market share of domestic commercial air passenger transport by
routes, frequencies, and airlines from Jorge Chávez International Airport in
Lima during a one-week period from March 6 to 17, 2023, and to facilitate its
comparison. Thus, this study is based on a literature review as the theoretical
foundation and on the collection and analysis of data to measure market share.
It is considered important for academic actors to contribute to the study of
new information that benefits public knowledge related to the subject and helps
improve the tourism activity of the study objects.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Through the application of numerical
measurement techniques and statistical analysis, the information necessary to
achieve the study’s objectives was collected. The study adopted a quantitative
and descriptive approach, with the purpose of characterizing the phenomenon
under investigation and establishing a rigorous analysis. To delve into the
most significant aspects of domestic operations, the analytical-synthetic
method was used to break down and examine the information in detail,
facilitating the attainment of conclusive results. In addition, a review of
secondary (bibliographic) sources was employed as a theoretical foundation
technique for generating quantitative information that would facilitate the
numerical understanding of the subject. The search, review, and selection of
theoretical data were obtained from official sources such as airport and
airline websites, following strict reliability and validity criteria.
RESULTS
This
section presents and discusses the results obtained after the collection and
analysis of data corresponding to the study variables. To facilitate an
effective synthesis of the data, charts and tables have been prepared using the
abbreviations designated by the International Air Transport Association [IATA]
to identify each city pair and airline.
Tabla
1: Rutas domésticas por aerolínea. Corte semanal del 06 al 17 de
marzo de 2023
|
LATAM (LA) |
SKY AIRLIN ES
(H2) |
STAR PERÚ (2i) |
JET SMART PERÚ (JZ) |
AVIAN CA (AV) |
ATSA AIRLINES (4A) |
|
|
LIM-AQP-LIM |
125 |
43 |
10 |
17 |
2 |
2 |
|
LIM-AYP-LIM |
43 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-CJA-LIM |
58 |
8 |
8 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
|
LIM-CHH-LIM |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
LIM-CIX-LIM |
62 |
11 |
9 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-CUZ-LIM |
145 |
31 |
17 |
17 |
6 |
2 |
|
LIM-HUU-LIM |
26 |
0 |
18 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
|
LIM-IQT-LIM |
67 |
18 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
|
LIM-JAU-LIM |
25 |
0 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-PIU-LIM |
85 |
23 |
11 |
14 |
3 |
0 |
|
LIM-PCL-LIM |
52 |
3 |
12 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
|
LIM-PEM-LIM |
18 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-TCQ-LIM |
38 |
8 |
10 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-TYL-LIM |
29 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
|
LIM-TPP-LIM |
93 |
19 |
24 |
12 |
4 |
0 |
|
LIM-TRU-LIM |
69 |
17 |
14 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-TBP-LIM |
39 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
LIM-MZA-LIM |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
LIM-ILQ-LIM |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
LIM-JUL-LIM |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
983 |
216 |
156 |
124 |
22 |
18 |
Source:
Authors, 2025
Note:
AQP = Arequipa, AYP = Ayacucho, CJA = Cajamarca, CHH = Chachapoyas, CIX =
Chiclayo, CUZ = Cusco, HUU = Huánuco, IQT = Iquitos, JAU = Jauja, PIU = Piura,
PCL = Pucallpa, PEM = Puerto Maldonado, TCQ = Tacna, TYL = Talara, TPP =
Tarapoto, TRU = Trujillo, TBP = Tumbes, MZA = Mazamari, ILQ = Ilo, JUL =
Juliaca.
Regarding the variables of airlines and
frequencies, it was found that for the weekly period from March 6 to 17, 2023,
the total number of domestic flights operated by the six airlines providing
this service was 1,519. LATAM, Sky Airline, Star Perú, JetSmart
Perú, Avianca, and Atsa Airlines concentrate most of their domestic operations
on the route to Cusco, with 218 flights.
LATAM maintains a dominant presence on
most routes with 983 domestic flights, with the LIM–CUZ–LIM route having the
highest frequency (145 flights). Likewise, secondary competitors such as Sky
Airline and Star Perú are identified as significant competitors, with 216 and
156 domestic flights, respectively, and with a strong presence on the
LIM–PIU–LIM and LIM–HUU–LIM routes, with 23 and 18 flights, respectively.
Meanwhile, JetSmart
Perú and Avianca show a moderate presence in the market with 124 and 22
domestic flights, respectively, with their most notable routes being
LIM–CIX–LIM and LIM–CUZ–LIM, with 14 and 6 flights, respectively. In contrast,
some routes such as LIM–JUL–LIM and LIM–ILQ–LIM have very low or no frequency,
which may indicate limited demand for these destinations. Finally, Atsa
Airlines concentrates most of its domestic operations on the LIM–HUU–LIM route,
out of its total of 18 recorded flights.
Furthermore, the following section
presents the market share represented by each airline with respect to the total
frequencies recorded for the weekly period from March 6 to 17, 2023.
Figure 1: Market Share of Domestic Operations by Airline
Source: Authors, 2025
As shown in the previous figure, LATAM
stands out as the leading airline in terms of market share in domestic
operations, capturing 65% of the total frequencies recorded during the week of
March 6 to 17, 2023. In more distant competition, Sky Airline ranks second with
14%, followed by Star Perú with 10% and JetSmart Perú
with 8%.
Figure 2: Direct Domestic Flight Operations of LATAM Airlines
Source: Authors, 2025
In this way, it has been determined that,
from the total flights operated by LATAM during the weekly period from March 6
to 17, 2023, 14.8% of domestic operations correspond to the 145 frequencies
recorded in Table 1 for the city of Cusco as its main route, suggesting high
demand or strategic importance. Furthermore, the next most operated route by
this airline is LIM–AQP–LIM, with 12.7%, followed by LIM–TPP–LIM, with 9.5%.
The LIM–PIU–LIM and LIM–TRU–LIM routes
also have a significant frequency, at 9.5% and 7% respectively, indicating
other areas of focus for operations. On the other hand, routes such as
LIM–CHH–LIM, LIM–MZA–LIM, LIM–ILQ–LIM, and LIM–JUL–LIM have a very low
frequency, below 1%, which could reflect lower demand. Nevertheless, most
secondary routes have a frequency between 2.5% and 12.7%, showing a relatively
balanced distribution of operations among these routes.
The following figure presents data that
reflect the distribution of market share among the domestic operation routes of
Sky Airline.
Figure 3: Direct Domestic Flight Operations of Sky Airline
Source: Authors, 2025
It has been determined, through the
previous figure, that from the total flights operated by Sky Airline during the
weekly period from March 6 to 17, 2023, 19.9% of domestic operations correspond
to the 43 frequencies recorded in Table 1 to the city of Arequipa for this
airline. In addition, the next highest percentage routes after the
aforementioned city are LIM–CUZ–LIM with 14.4%, followed by LIM–PIU–LIM with
10.6%.
In terms of general distribution, most
routes have a frequency between 1.4% and 8.8%, showing a balance of operations
among secondary routes and a strong preference for the LIM–AQP–LIM route.
The following figure presents the data
corresponding to the distribution of market share among the domestic operation
routes of Star Perú.
Figure 4: Direct Domestic Flight Operations of Star Perú
Source: Authors, 2025
From the total flights operated by Star
Perú during the weekly period from March 6 to 17, 2023, the previous figure
shows that 15.4% of domestic operations correspond to the 24 frequencies
recorded in Table 1 to the city of Tarapoto,
indicating high demand and priority for this route. This is followed by 15% and
11.5% for the LIM–CUZ–LIM and LIM–HUU–LIM routes, respectively, as secondary
focus areas.
This analysis reveals a clear preference
for the LIM–CUZ–LIM route, while other routes maintain a more moderate share,
and some have minimal or no frequency, which may be due to low demand for those
routes.
The following figure shows the
distribution of market share in the domestic operation routes of JetSmart Airline.
Figure 5: Direct Domestic Flight Operations of JetSmart Airline
Source: Authors, 2025
It has been determined, through the
previous figure, that from the total flights operated by JetSmart
during the weekly period from March 6 to 17, 2023, 14% of domestic operations
correspond to the 17 frequencies recorded in Table 1 to the cities of Arequipa
and Cusco each. In addition, the frequencies on the LIM–PIU–LIM and LIM–CIX–LIM
routes each account for 11% of domestic operations.
The LIM–TPP–LIM route also holds a notable
share with 10% of operations, while the data also show that for the remaining
routes, there is an offer equal to or less than 6%.
The following figure presents the recorded
data reflecting the distribution of market share among the domestic operation
routes of Avianca Airline.
Figure 6: Direct Domestic Flight Operations of Avianca Airline
Source: Authors, 2025
Through the previous figure, it has been
determined that, from the total flights operated by Avianca during the weekly
period from March 6 to 17, 2023, 27% of domestic operations correspond to the 6
frequencies recorded in Table 1 to the city of Cusco from its total flights.
This is followed by 18% for the LIM–TPP–LIM and LIM–PCL–LIM routes each, 14%
for the LIM–PIU–LIM route, 9% for the LIM–AQP–LIM and LIM–IQT–LIM routes, and
the remaining 5% for the LIM–TBP–LIM route.
It is important to mention that the other
cities shown in Table 1 with zero frequency were omitted from the previous
figure to optimize the schematic representation of the airline’s activity.
The following figure presents the recorded
data reflecting the distribution of market share among the domestic operation
routes of Atsa Airline.
Figure 7: Direct Domestic Flight Operations of Atsa Airlines
Source: Authors, 2025
Here’s the translation of your text into
English:
As with the other airlines, for Atsa
Airlines it has been determined, through the previous figure, that from the
total flights operated during the weekly period from March 6 to 17, 2023, 22%
of domestic operations correspond to the 4 frequencies recorded in Table 1 for
the LIM–HUU–LIM route for this airline. The rest of the routes each account for
11% of operations, showing an even distribution that could indicate a balanced
demand and supply among the cities served by Atsa Airlines.
It is important to mention that the other
cities shown in Table 1 with zero frequency were omitted from the previous
figure to optimize the schematic representation of the airline’s activity.
On the other hand, according to the
political division map of Peru, SocialHizo (2025)
points out that the country is divided into 24 departments, as shown in the
following figure.
Figure 8: Peruvian Domestic Commercial Air Transport by
Department
Source: Authors, 2025
As observed in the previous figure, the
departments of Peru that currently have direct domestic flight operations to
and from Lima are the cities of Arequipa, Cusco, Loreto, Piura, San Martín,
Tumbes, and Ucayali, served by five or six airlines. Departments such as
Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Huánuco, Lambayeque, Madre de Dios, Tacna, and La Libertad
have moderate service with two to four airlines, while the rest of the
departments either have no airline service or have a very limited one. This
situation may be due to the lack of demand or adequate infrastructure, but it
could also represent an opportunity for the future development of air services
in these areas.
In
this way, through the presentation of the study’s results, the findings align
with what was stated by Acero, Fajardo, and Romero (2017) regarding airports
becoming a commercial hub for passengers and airlines. Over time, Lima
International Airport has become a convergence point for the supply of flight
frequencies operated by a variety of airlines and passenger demand for specific
routes. At the same time, Cruz, Tello, and César (2012) point out that since
2008, the share of the main foreign airlines has exceeded 60% of the total
domestic demand in Peru—a reality that continues to this day despite the launch
and operation of its own flag carrier (Star Perú), which maintains a smaller
domestic market share than the Chilean foreign airlines LATAM and Sky Airline.
Furthermore, the entry into service of new
airlines, especially low-cost carriers, has proven to be a challenge for other
traditional or similar competitor airlines. This supports Parejas’ (2024)
statement as accurate, since, as seen in the results obtained, the low-cost
airlines JetSmart and Sky Airline have successfully
and consistently penetrated this market, together accounting for 28% of the
market share. This suggests a possible preference for specific domestic routes
to certain destinations due to their reduced fares, creating competitiveness
challenges for the remaining four airlines in question.
CONCLUSIONS
Summarizing
the results obtained from the research, it has been determined that with a 65%
share, LATAM dominates the supply in the domestic market to and from Jorge
Chávez International Airport in Lima during the weekly period from March 6 to
17, 2023, indicating a strong and greater service capacity compared to other
airlines. Likewise, these patterns suggest that LATAM is the clear leader in
the domestic flight market, while other airlines such as Sky Airline and Star
Perú have strengths in specific routes to the cities of Arequipa and Tarapoto.
Similarly,
the significant share of Sky Airline, with 14% of operations, makes it the
second strongest competitor, which could reflect a competitive pricing strategy
for specific routes where it has an advantage.
On
the other hand, Star Perú remains stable with a 10% share, suggesting a regular
market presence and that its low-cost strategy may give it an advantage over
other airlines. However, JetSmart Perú, Avianca, and
Atsa Airlines, with 8% and 2% combined between the latter two, may indicate a
focus on niche markets different from the other companies or on less-frequented
routes. For Atsa, this could also suggest recent or limited operations on very
specific routes.
Therefore,
the variability observed in the frequency of routes offered by airlines
providing domestic services to and from Lima Airport may be an indicator of
market demand and the distribution strategy of each airline.
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* Master, Universidad
UTE
jonathan.cruz@ute.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6960-2662
* Master, Investigadora
independiente
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7654-2947