Passenger traffic at Santiago Airport continued to slow during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a trend already visible throughout 2025. Yet behind the decline in volumes, the Chilean hub is simultaneously reinforcing its international network strategy, with new routes and frequency increases aimed at consolidating Santiago’s role as one of South America’s key air gateways.
According to shareholders VINCI Airports and Groupe ADP, the airport handled 7.38 million passengers during the first three months of 2026, representing a 1.8% decrease compared with the same period last year.
The slowdown remained visible in March alone, when traffic reached 2.31 million passengers, down 2.4% year-on-year. Domestic services accounted for 1.22 million passengers, while international routes handled 1.08 million travelers.
The figures confirm that the pressure is affecting Chile’s domestic market more significantly than international operations. Santiago’s busiest domestic routes in March included Calama, Antofagasta, Puerto Montt, Concepción and Iquique, underscoring the continued importance of mining, regional economic activity and long-distance internal mobility within the country.
Internationally, traffic remained concentrated on major Latin American corridors, particularly Buenos Aires, Lima, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bogotá. These routes continue to position Santiago as a strategic connector between the Southern Cone and the wider Latin American market.
For Nicolas Claude, CEO of Santiago Airport, the first-quarter results extend a broader market pattern that emerged in 2025, particularly across domestic services. He noted that the airport is working alongside airlines and public authorities to stimulate travel demand and maintain competitive connectivity options both within Chile and internationally.
Despite softer traffic figures, the airport’s network development strategy remains firmly expansionary.
Throughout 2026, Santiago Airport has continued adding international capacity, combining new routes with additional frequencies on existing services. New connections to Neuquén and Quito are being introduced, while several airlines are expanding operations across long-haul and regional markets.
The most significant increases include:
- Melbourne: 6 weekly frequencies with LATAM Airlines
- Panama City: 42 weekly frequencies with Copa Airlines
- Istanbul: daily service with Turkish Airlines
- Paris: 10 weekly frequencies with Air France
- Atlanta: 14 weekly frequencies with Delta Air Lines
- Montreal: 4 weekly frequencies with Air Canada
- Auckland: 5 weekly frequencies with LATAM Airlines
Additional growth is also planned on regional routes to Punta Cana, Recife and Buenos Aires-Aeroparque.
The network adjustments reveal a broader strategic dynamic. While domestic demand appears to be stabilizing at lower levels, airlines continue to reinforce Santiago’s international positioning across North America, Europe, Oceania and intra-Latin American markets.
This approach also highlights the resilience of Santiago’s hub model. Rather than reducing international exposure during a softer traffic cycle, operators are continuing to invest in connectivity, particularly on long-haul and high-value regional routes.
Operated by a consortium bringing together Groupe ADP, VINCI Airports and Gestioni Concessioni, Santiago Airport currently connects Chile to 17 domestic and 50 international destinations through its T1 and T2 terminals.
For Latin America’s aviation sector, the latest figures illustrate an increasingly common reality among major regional hubs: traffic growth may fluctuate, but strategic international connectivity remains at the center of long-term airport development plans.
