Chile's Santiago airport braces for winter travel surge as regional routes fall

The Civil Aviation Authority reported that in May 2026 the Santiago‑Iquique route contracted by 1.3% compared with the previous year, and inter‑regional traffic that serves mining hubs fell by 10.3%. The overall domestic passenger market declined 1.7% for the month, marking the eleventh consecutive monthly drop and reflecting reduced demand from the northern mining‑dependent region of Tarapacá.

Meanwhile, the Santiago airport forecasts that 2,194,761 passengers will pass through its terminals during the last two weeks of June and the first two weeks of July, a peak period for winter holidays. Roughly half of the traffic will be domestic and half international, with the busiest days projected for early July. Top domestic destinations include Calama, Antofagasta, Puerto Montt, Concepción and Iquique, while international demand centers on São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Rio de Janeiro and Bogotá. The airport will deploy its full self‑service technology, including 146 check‑in kiosks and 64 baggage‑drop modules, and airlines have added frequencies to several long‑haul markets to accommodate the surge.