Puerto Natales (PNT) runway maintenance and flight disruptions: What travelers need to know

Last updated 21 August 2026. Details are still developing — see the final section for how to stay current.

If you’ve been planning a visit to the Torres del Paine region and recently noticed flights you were browsing a week ago seem to have vanished into thin air, you’re not imagining things. Chile's Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has confirmed plans for significant repairs to the runaways at Teniente Julio Gallardo Airport (PNT), the main gateway to Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine, during the first quarter of 2027 and the announcement has disrupted flight schedules. The work targets the most worn sections of the runway rather than its full length, and will be carried out in stages rather than through a single shutdown, keeping the airport open for part of each week between January and March. The project is intended to extend the runway's service life by around a decade while a larger airport expansion advances separately. Normal operations are expected to resume once the work is complete.

For travellers and tour operators, the notice has been short. The repairs had originally been signalled for late 2027, and the decision to move them forward only became public recently. The latest public notice from MOP was filed on August 14, 2026.

Why the work falls during peak season

Thanks to its proximity to Torres del Paine National Park and its surrounding regions — which offer travelers access to some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring landscapes, hiking, horseback riding, world-class fly fishing, and more — Puerto Natales has become one of Chile's fastest-growing air destinations. Passenger traffic has risen roughly tenfold since 2019, surpassing 300,000 in 2025, and the runway at PNT — built out for commercial jet service in 2016 — now needs its worst stretches properly rebuilt rather than simply maintained through continuous patching. 

The required timing is a consequence of the region’s climate. The asphalt required for a durable repair can only be laid above 7°C on a dry surface, free of rain and snow. In the Magallanes region, those conditions occur reliably only during the southern summer, which unfortunately coincides with the busiest months for travel. 

When PNT will be open

According to MOP, in January, crews will perform repairs each week Monday through Thursday, leaving the airport open to serve flights Friday through Sunday. During February and March, the schedule tightens to five days of work and two of flying — weekends only. The ministry estimates roughly two-thirds of flights will continue in January, dropping to around 40 percent in February and a third in March. 

What it means for flights and travelers

LATAM and SKY are the two primary carriers serving Puerto Natales. Neither has issued customer guidance, a rebooking policy, or a formally updated schedule. 

As of 21 August 2026, LATAM has stopped selling seats on weekday flights to and from PNT during the affected period. That said, existing bookings for weekday flights, as of this writing, have not been cancelled. LATAM has simply stopped accepting new bookings for these flights.

SKY, for the moment, continues to book customers on weekday flights during the impacted period. 

The best interpretation of this discrepancy between the two major carriers serving PNT is that the airlines have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, albeit with differing postures. This picture is changing week to week, so check current availability yourself rather than relying on a snapshot, and treat a bookable weekday flight in this window as provisional rather than confirmed.

There is plenty of good news

Whether you’ve already booked travel to the region or are considering travel to the region, there is plenty of good news. First and foremost, the airport isn’t closing. Flights will still be available several days a week and travelers can and should take advantage of those flights. More importantly, however, is the fact that the region is served by two different airports. Nearby Punta Arenas (PUQ), which handles more than three times as many passengers, has three times as many runways and, in general, far greater capacity than PNT, will continue to serve customers with existing and likely added flights, as well. Travel to PUQ will require a longer drive/transfer for visitors headed to Torres del Paine, but that is something tour and other travel operators can handle in relative stride.

If you've already booked

Hold onto your booking rather than cancelling or rebooking on your own. If an airline cancels your flight or moves it significantly, you're generally entitled to a free date change or a refund. If you change it voluntarily beforehand, you usually aren't. Sitting tight is the stronger position, however uncomfortable that feels while you wait.

Two things worth doing now: check that the phone number and email attached to your booking are current, so any notice actually reaches you. And if you booked through an agent or as part of a package, go to them rather than the airline directly.

If you’ve booked your travel through or with the help of a travel agency (whether Hatch Adventure Travel or another agency), reach out to your agent for the latest information and advice on how you should proceed.

What's still unsettled

The ministry has announced the January–March plan and held to it through several rounds of pushback, so it's a firm decision — but not a contractual one yet. The construction contract hasn't been awarded, and local businesses and airline associations are still pressing for changes to the timing, so both the dates and the pattern could still shift.

Also unresolved: the exact day-by-day calendar, which stretches of runway are worked on when, how much runway is usable on any given date, and what either airline will offer affected passengers.

If you're still planning a trip

If your dates are flexible, build the trip around a weekend — given the latest information, weekend flights should remain unaffected under every scenario currently on the table. If you cannot plan your travel to or from the region on a weekend, as mentioned above, Punta Arenas Airport (PUQ) is unaffected and sits about three hours from Puerto Natales by road. El Calafate in Argentina is another way into the Torres del Paine area.

What to watch for next

The ministry expects to put the work out to tender in September 2026, with a contractor appointed after that. Those tender documents should set out the detailed schedule, and that's the point where most of the open questions get answered. Official updates are posted at aeropuertos.mop.gob.cl, and closer to the work itself, through DGAC aviation notices. If you're holding a booking, keep an eye on messages from your airline or agent as well.

We can help

If you’re still considering a trip to the Torres del Paine region to hike, bike, ride horses, experience some of the world’s best dry-fly fishing, or simply soak up the breathtaking scenery, we can help you plan a visit that navigates the developing situation at Puerto Natales’ airport.

One thing is clear: there’s no reason to take Torres del Paine off the table this summer.