Chile's busiest air route in 2026 is Santiago-Calama: 1,691,679 passengers between January and September, 0.7% fewer than in the same period of 2025. It is followed by Santiago-Antofagasta (1,525,118) and Santiago-Concepción (1,019,756), the only one of the three that is growing. On international flights, Santiago-Buenos Aires leads with 1,151,628 passengers, just ahead of Santiago-Lima. These are totals calculated by Viajando Chile from the monthly air traffic reports of Chile's Civil Aviation Board (Junta de Aeronáutica Civil, JAC).
*Updated on October 20, 2026, with data through September 2026.* This ranking is updated on this same page every time the JAC publishes a new month.
Busiest domestic air routes in Chile in 2026
| # | Route | Jan-Sep 2025 | Jan-Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago-Calama | 1,704,073 | 1,691,679 | -0.7% |
| 2 | Santiago-Antofagasta | 1,564,272 | 1,525,118 | -2.5% |
| 3 | Santiago-Concepción | 987,932 | 1,019,756 | +3.2% |
| 4 | Santiago-Iquique | 1,081,953 | 1,014,016 | -6.3% |
| 5 | Santiago-Puerto Montt | 990,325 | 987,524 | -0.3% |
| 6 | Santiago-Temuco | 711,615 | 721,080 | +1.3% |
| 7 | Santiago-La Serena | 593,363 | 628,237 | +5.9% |
| 8 | Santiago-Copiapó | 476,567 | 503,483 | +5.6% |
| 9 | Santiago-Punta Arenas | 472,052 | 459,534 | -2.7% |
| 10 | Santiago-Arica | 442,757 | 420,113 | -5.1% |
Source: JAC, monthly reports from January to September 2026 (annex with each month's ten busiest routes). Each route adds outbound and return passengers. Sum and change: Viajando Chile. All ten routes were in the top 10 in each of the nine months, so the totals are complete.
The top two are mining routes: Calama is the gateway to the copper mines and also to the Atacama Desert and San Pedro. Among the fastest growing are La Serena (+5.9%) and Copiapó (+5.6%); in September, Santiago-La Serena jumped 31.4% and returned to its 2024 level, according to the JAC.
Busiest international air routes from Chile in 2026
| # | Route | Jan-Sep 2025 | Jan-Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago-Buenos Aires | 1,212,918 | 1,151,628 | -5.1% |
| 2 | Santiago-Lima | 1,255,873 | 1,145,170 | -8.8% |
| 3 | Santiago-São Paulo | 1,148,575 | 1,066,886 | -7.1% |
| 4 | Santiago-Rio de Janeiro | 749,910 | 763,386 | +1.8% |
| 5 | Santiago-Bogotá | 559,210 | 554,279 | -0.9% |
| 6 | Santiago-Madrid | 483,876 | 514,296 | +6.3% |
| 7 | Santiago-Panama City | 412,927 | 454,382 | +10.0% |
| 8 | Santiago-Florianópolis | 419,030 | 420,840 | +0.4% |
| 9 | Santiago-Miami | 345,968 | 330,042 | -4.6% |
Source: JAC, same series. Santiago-Mendoza, tenth in eight of the nine months, is not included because it dropped out of the top 10 in April and its total is incomplete. The JAC counts flight segments without a change of flight number, so a passenger connecting in Lima or Bogotá to another destination appears on the route to that city.
Lima, which was the busiest international route between January and September 2025, falls 8.8% and drops to second place. Panama (+10.0%) and Madrid (+6.3%) grow the most; Madrid's rise matches the growth in European tourism shown by August 2026 tourist arrivals.
How Chile's air traffic is doing in 2026
| Segment | Passengers Jan-Sep 2026 | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic flights | 11,660,572 | -2.8% |
| International flights | 9,216,451 | -0.7% |
| Total | 20,877,023 | -1.9% |
| September only | 2,230,294 | +0.2% |
Source: JAC, September 2026 report. September was the first month of growth after more than a year of declines, “a one-off sign of stabilization, without recovering 2024 levels”, according to the JAC. Latam carried 66.5% of domestic passengers that month, Sky 20.2% and JetSmart 12.9%.
What the busiest air routes ranking means for travelers
- More frequencies, more price options: the busiest routes, such as Calama, Antofagasta or Concepción, have more daily flights and more competition between airlines.
- Southern tourist destinations: Puerto Montt, Temuco and Punta Arenas are gateways to Patagonia and the Lakes District; see things to do in Puerto Montt and things to do in Temuco.
- Concepción on the rise: the country's third-busiest route and the fastest growing among the big ones; our guide to things to do in Concepción works for a weekend.
- Compare modes of transport: for short distances, buses or trains may be better; see transport in Chile.
In the regional airport ranking, Santiago is South America's third-busiest airport, as we show in busiest airports in South America.
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *Busiest air routes in Chile in 2026: Santiago-Calama leads*. With data from Chile's Civil Aviation Board (JAC). https://viajandochile.com/en/news/busiest-air-routes-in-chile-2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the busiest air route in Chile?
Santiago-Calama, with 1,691,679 passengers between January and September 2026, according to the JAC.
What is the busiest international route from Chile?
Santiago-Buenos Aires, with 1,151,628 passengers between January and September 2026, followed by Santiago-Lima (1,145,170).
How many passengers flew in Chile in 2026?
20,877,023 between January and September, counting domestic and international flights, 1.9% fewer than in 2025.
