Closure of Lima Airport extended until midnight on Sunday after plane crash

The Lima Jorge Chavez International AirportPeru, will remain closed until at least midnight this Sunday to verify the safety of the runway and remove the remains of Friday’s crash between a Latam plane and a fire truck, the aerodrome operator reported this Saturday.

Lima Airport Partners (LAP), responsible for the airport, stated that “it has requested to extend the suspension of operations until 00:00 (local time) on November 20, 2022” due to the delay in the investigation of the accident and in the cleaning track.

“Although the work has been carried out intensively, by the airline and in permanent coordination with LAP and the authorities, this is taking more time, due to the complexity of the accident and the treatment of the fuel spill caused,” he assured. Lima Airport Partners in a statement that was also released by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

On Friday afternoon, two firefighters died after colliding their emergency vehicle with a plane Latam with 102 passengers taking off at the Lima airport, whose operations were initially suspended until 1:00 p.m. (local time) this Saturday.

In addition to the two deceased, another lifeguard who was traveling in the vehicle was left in critical condition, with injuries to the skull.

After the closure of the airport, the airlines Latam y Sky They informed that they offer their clients facilities to change or refund their tickets.

The authorities have set up hotlines to guide users affected by the closure.

The Aviation Accident Investigation Commission (CIAA) of the Peruvian government is working on “determining the causes of the accident and supervising the removal on the runway,” according to the airport operator.

Likewise, “the repair of the pavement, lights and other effects are carried out, in order to guarantee the safety of passengers and aircraft.”

The Jorge Chavez airport is the biggest of Peru, with a movement of 1.68 million passengers last July. It serves as the hub of connections in hemispheric flights for Latam, which operates 200 national and international flights a day from the Peruvian capital.