Arequipa's airport could start receiving direct flights from La Paz, Bolivia this year.

Carlos Vargas, general manager at Aeropuertos Andinos del Peru (AAP), confirmed they were currently looking for a Bolivian airline that could operate direct flights between La Paz and Arequipa.

"We have talked with several companies to convince them to come. It is part of the plan,” Vargas said, according to Aeronoticias.

“What we do is show them the numbers that Arequipa has achieved and hope that these figures will ensure the profitability of the new routes.”

According to reports, both Boliviana de Aviacion and Amaszonas Linea Aerea, have expressed interest in the route.

Traffic at Arequipa’s airport has been growing significantly in recent years, and surpassed one million passengers in 2011, Aeronoticias said.

Meanwhile, AAP said it reached $5 million in sales at Arequipa’s airport in 2011, and expects to reach $7 million this year.

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