As of November 2, American Airlines will begin operating the route between the U.S. city of Austin, Texas, and the Costa Rican province of Guanacaste.
The new route will be offered to the public three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and arises at the request of the airline's customers, who were looking for more connections and international non-stop alternatives for the fall and winter season, informed the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).
When the pandemic began, interest among Central Americans in travel agency and other tourism-related services dropped significantly, and although it rebounded in mid-May, in recent weeks it has again reported a downward trend.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
Avianca, Jetblue, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Volares, KLM, British Airways, Sun Country and West Jet, are the airlines that in November and December resume their flights to and from the country.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, Costa Rican authorities decided to close their borders, but after a strict quarantine, air transport in the country began to be reactivated.
In the context of the economic reopening, it was announced that as of October 15, Costa Rican air terminals will begin to receive flights carrying citizens from Central America and Panama.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, air transport between Costa Rica and the other countries in the region has been interrupted since March. Seven months later, authorities removed the restriction and airlines will be able to begin operating these flights.
As of October 1st, citizens and residents of Mexico may enter Costa Rican territory by air, under the condition that they comply with the sanitary requirements imposed by the authorities to contain the outbreak of covid-19.
As part of the process of reactivating air connectivity, Jamaican tourists will also be able to enter and the authorization for California residents will be reconfirmed.
Starting October 17th, JetBlue will gradually restart operations with the flight between San Jose and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, and from October 25th it will start operating the route between the Costa Rican capital and New York.
From October 28th the airline plans to reactivate the flight between Orlando and San Jose. For the next month, JetBlue has also scheduled to fly every Saturday from Liberia to the city of Boston, Massachusetts and from November 7th it will fly to John F. Keneddy (JFK) airport in New York.
As of September 1, the authorities will allow the entry of U.S. residents from the states of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and as of September 15, tourists from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Colorado will also be able to arrive.
The executive decree was modified to allow tourists arriving in Costa Rica to present a policy taken out abroad as part of the requirements for reopening international tourism.
The Costa Rican government decided to reform Executive Decree 42513-MGP-S and now foreign visitors will no longer be required to take out National Insurance Institute (INS) policies, the price of which exceeds $275 for a two-week stay.
In order to stimulate the return of airlines to the country and reactivate tourism, the government eliminated from the price of jet fuel, the subsidy that financed the cost of LP gas, bunker, asphalt and asphalt emulsion.
In this context of health and economic crisis resulting from the outbreak of covid-19, the Alarado administration, signed Executive Decree No.
As of October 27, 2020, Lufthansa will begin operating a third weekly frequency between the German city and the capital of Costa Rica.
Thus, the airline, which currently offers two flights per week on Thursdays and Saturdays, will also fly on Tuesdays round trip between the German destination and San Jose, Costa Rica, reported the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT).
The low-cost airline Sun Country announced that between June and August 2020 it will operate a weekly flight between the U.S. city of Dallas and the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica.
The operation will begin on Saturday 13 June and end on Saturday 15 August. The flight will depart at 8 a.m. from Dallas Fort Worth Airport and arrive at Daniel Oduber Quirós at 11:05 a.m.
The union of Nicaraguan businessmen has stated that starting from September, Copa Airlines will stop operating frequencies to Managua from San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City.
According to the Superior Council of Private Enterprise in Nicaragua (Cosep), "...The affected flights are Managua - Panama, San José-Managua, Managua-San José and Panama-Managua, while the only route that the airline is keeping active is Managua-Guatemala, however, only Monday, Wednesday and Friday."
Sun Country Airlines has announced that between December and March 2019 it will increase the number of frequencies it operates between the US city and the Guanacaste airport in Costa Rica from 38 to 53.
The 53 flights that the US airline will operate during the peak tourist season will be distributed as follows: 6 in December of this year, 14 in January, 15 in February and 18 in March 2019.
Greater air connectivity is one of the factors that explains the increase in income generated from tourism activities in the first quarter in Costa Rica, when $1.182 billion was reported.
The travel category, in the exports section of the Balance of Payments, is composed mostly of the expense of foreigners who arrive for holiday trips, and the increase reported in the first quarter, which is the high season, is attributed to good promotion of the country and better air connectivity.
During the months of January and February 2019 United Airlines will fly daily from Chicago to San Jose, and Alaska Airlines will fly from Los Angeles, during the entire peak season.
A statement from the ICT details that "...There will be approximately 15,000 additional seats in the first quarter of 2019 for the United States."