A consortium that includes Hyundai E&C of Korea and Sinohydro of China has been chosen to build a $428m terminal for a greenfield airport in Cusco, southeast Peru.

Other members of the Natividad de Chinchero consortium are Mexican contractor Ingenieros Civiles Asociados and Peru’s HV Contatistas, reports South Korean news site, Aju Business Daily.

The South Korean company, which owns 35% of the project, will project manage the design, construction and maintenance programme for Chinchero Cusco International.

Hyundai’s entry to the project came in March this year when it won a $144m site preparation contract from the Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, its first order in Peru since setting up an office there.

At the time, Hyundai said it would use that contract “to clinch upcoming orders for construction of passenger terminal/runway”.

Yesterday a Hyundai official was quoted by Aju Business as saying: “Despite the global economic downturn caused by Covid-19, our outstanding construction technology and know-how were recognised and won orders over European competitors.”

Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire, is a global tourism destination. Its existing airport, Alejandro Velasco Astete International, handles 2.3 million passengers a year, making it Peru’s second busiest. However, it is located too near the city centre to be expanded.

The project is being overseen by a South Korean consortium of private and state-owned enterprises led by Korea Airports Corporation, and is being financed by the Peruvian government. The design is by Franco-Spanish architect Studio MAAC.

When completed in June 2025, the airport will have a capacity of around 5 million passengers a year, and will use biometric data to authenticate passengers.