New charter flights to Costa Rica from Chicago, Minneapolis

U.S. travel agency Apple Vacations will add two new charter operations to the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura reported Friday.

Flights will be seasonal and will be scheduled within dates that allow U.S. travelers to take full advantage of holiday periods, Ventura said.

XTRAirways will offer a charter flight from Chicago once a week on an aircraft with a capacity for 168 passengers. The route will operate between December 25 and August 5 starting next year.

The same carrier plans to launch a seasonal charter next year between St. Louis, Missouri and Liberia, from March 18 to August 5.

The tourism minister also confirmed that Sun Country Airlines will offer flights on the Minneapolis-Liberia route from December 19 to April 9. This will be the fourth weekly flight on that route and will offer seats for 168 passengers.

“Attraction of charter flights is part of the country’s strategy to attract new airlines,” Ventura said. “These flights last year moved nearly 70,000 passengers to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, and they also help facilitate the process for an airline to open a permanent route to Costa Rica,” he added.