Anger Ramps Up over New International Airport for Machu Picchu

Among the Inca archeological sites that are plentiful in Peru, none actually attracts as many tourists as the famous citadel of Machu Picchu.

In 2017, there were around 1.5 million visitors, almost double the limit of UNESCO recommendation, putting an enormous strain on the fragile ruins and local ecology.

Currently, in a move that has created horror and outrage from archaeologists, historians and locals, work has started on clearing ground for a multibillion-dollar international airport, all set to jet tourists close to Machu Picchu.

By now, bulldozers have started scraping millions of tons of earth in Chinchero, a striking Inca town about 3,800 meters above sea level. It’s the gateway to the Sacred Valley. Once this ancient region was the heartland of a civilization that stretched from modern-day Colombia to Argentina, and in the 15th century was the largest empire of the world.

Currently, most visitors to the valley come via Cusco airport. It has only one runway and is limited to taking narrow-bodied aircraft on stopover flights from Peru’s capital, Lima, and nearby cities such as La Paz, Bolivia.