Fausa Airport

The airport was closed because it was replaced by a new, larger, and more modern facility. The Antapaccay mining project, an expansion of the existing Tintaya mine, required an airport with greater capacity and better infrastructure. Consequently, the new Antapaccay Airport (ICAO: SPAY) was constructed just a few kilometers southeast of the old airstrip. Upon the opening of SPAY, the Fausa/Tintaya airstrip became redundant and was decommissioned.

The physical runway and tarmac of the former airport remain visible in satellite imagery. However, the facility is completely inactive and no longer maintained for aviation purposes. There are no runway markings, navigation aids, or ground support equipment present. The site is located on land belonging to the Compañía Minera Antapaccay (a Glencore subsidiary) and is effectively an abandoned airfield, superseded by the new airport nearby.

Fausa Airport, more commonly known as the Tintaya Airstrip, was a private airfield of critical importance to the Tintaya copper mine in the Espinar Province of Cusco. The ICAO code PE-0049 is an unofficial, local identifier, as the airport was not a public international facility.

Its primary historical role was logistical support for the massive mining operation in a remote, high-altitude region of the Andes (elevation approx. 4,100 meters / 13,450 feet). For decades, it served as the primary air link for transporting company executives, specialized personnel, engineers, and high-priority, low-volume cargo between the mine and major cities like Lima and Cusco. Operations were typically handled by charter companies contracted by the mine's operators (including former owners like BHP Billiton and Xstrata) using turboprop aircraft capable of performing in high-density altitude conditions, such as the DHC-6 Twin Otter and Beechcraft King Air.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Fausa Airport. Its reopening is considered highly improbable, as its function has been entirely and more effectively replaced by the modern Antapaccay Airport (SPAY). The new airport features a longer runway, superior navigation systems, and a proper terminal, fully meeting the current and future needs of the mining operation and the region. There is no economic or operational justification to recommission the older, smaller, and less-equipped airstrip.