New Airport Plans Make Machu Picchu More Accessible—Where Would You Add A New Airport?

By Nicholas DeRenzo
October 3, 2012
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Courtesy <a href="http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Machu-Picchu-Peru/photo/3674376/21864.html" target="_blank">KellyRoss811/myBudgetTravel</a>

The legendary Incan city of Machu Picchu is one of the world’s most treasured destinations. And the act of just getting there has always been half the fun (or maybe half the headache) of any Peruvian trip. You would normally fly into Lima and then take a bus, a car, a train, a taxi a hike, or a horse to the ruins—adventurous, sure, but far from convenient. Not for long!

Last week, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala announced plans for a new international airport near Cusco. Currently, the area is served by the Cusco city airport, which is only equipped to handle domestic daytime flights. This new $460 million project will mean that you’ll theoretically be able to hop on a flight in America and wake up mere miles from Machu Picchu.

This news got me thinking. What other far–flung destinations do you wish were better served by a new international airport? The Australian Outback? Antarctica? The Amazon? Yellowstone National Park? Let us know in the comments section: If you had $460 million to spend, where would you plunk down a new airport?

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