No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeAirportsJuan Santamaría airport expands, adds four new boarding gates

Juan Santamaría airport expands, adds four new boarding gates

Juan Santamaría International Airport on Friday inaugurated a $23.5 million expansion featuring four additional gates, a restaurant, a VIP lounge and a pet playground.

President Carlos Alvarado attended the ceremony and expressed his commitment to revitalizing the economy in part through projects that attract new airlines and more tourists to Costa Rica.

“This airport — which represents the main port of entry and exit of the country — is receiving a total investment of more than $96 million for its modernization and expansion,” Alvarado said, according to a press release from Casa Presidencial.

The new building is nicknamed “Victor Block” (Block V) and has two jet-bridge gates and room for two remote gates.

(Via Aeris.)

Of the $23.5 million investment, $22.5 million was supplied by Aeris Holding, the airport’s operator, while the remaining amount was contributed by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC).

Juan Santamaría International Airport (IATA code: SJO) handles six of every 10 international tourists who arrive in Costa Rica, according to Minister of Tourism María Amalia Revelo. In 2018, the airport saw a 5.9-percent increase in arriving passengers over 2017, according to Amalia.

The expansions come despite Costa Rica’s intention to construct a new international airport in Orotina by 2027. However, Alvarado’s administration has put that plan on pause, according to the daily La Nación, as it focuses on more urgent projects.


This story was made possible thanks to The Tico Times 5 % Club. If only 5 percent our readers donated at least $2 a month, we’d have our operating costs covered and could focus on bringing you more original reporting from around Costa Rica. We work hard to keep our reporting independent and groundbreaking, but we can only do it with your help. Join The Tico Times 5% Club and help make stories like this one possible.

Support the Tico Times

Trending Now

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

A Costa Rica Love Story: From Rustic Cabina to Separate Dreams

My Tica wife and I have been together for over a quarter century. When we met, I was living a simple life here. Three...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica