No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaEuropean airlines plan to increase flights to Costa Rica, ICT says

European airlines plan to increase flights to Costa Rica, ICT says

The sight of a long-haul jetliner arriving in Costa Rica from Europe may soon become even more common.

The seven airlines that fly non-stop to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) from Europe have been pleased with demand and hope to increase their offerings to Costa Rica, the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) said Saturday.

“In 2006, Costa Rica had a single indirect flight to Europe, and today, there are eight airlines offering flights between the old continent and Costa Rica,” said the Minister of Tourism, María Amalia Revelo. “This is evidence of the great leap that our country has taken as a result of its strategy to attract airlines.”

The announcement came following ICT’s participation in the ITB Berlin, a worldwide travel-industry convention that ended March 10. Revelo met with representatives from Lufthansa (Germany), KLM (the Netherlands), Air France, Edelweiss (Switzerland) and Condor (Germany).

ICT says that in 2018, 414,722 people arrived to Costa Rica from Europe via air. The number marked a 7.6 percent increase over 2017.

In January 2019, Costa Rica received 248,754 international arrivals by air, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to the same month last year, according to ICT. Of that total, 45,643 were Europeans, 4.2 percent more than in January of 2018.

“These figures commit us both to the public sector and the private sector to continue working hand-in-hand for the sustainability and quality of the tourism product we offer for the benefit and progress of the communities that live in this industry,” Revelo said.

The following airlines serve Costa Rica with direct flights from Europe:

  • Air France (from France)
  • British Airways (from England)
  • Condor (from Germany, with a layover in the Dominican Republic)
  • Edelweiss Air (from Switzerland)
  • Iberia (from Spain)
  • KLM (from the Netherlands)
  • Lufthansa (from Germany)
  • TUI (from England)

International tourism to Costa Rica continued to rise in 2018


This story was made possible thanks to The Tico Times 5% Club. If only 5 percent of 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

Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Drowning in Costa Rica Ruled Accidental

The death of American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has been confirmed as accidental drowning, according to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ). Warner, 54, was...

Panama Union Leader Saúl Méndez Goes into Exile in Bolivia

The leader of Panama’s main union, Saúl Méndez, accused of fraud and money laundering, left for exile in Bolivia this Saturday. He had taken...

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Vacation in Costa Rica with Baby

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly touched down in Costa Rica for a family getaway with their three-month-old daughter, Saga Blade Fox-Baker. Photographers caught...

Chiquita Executives Convicted in Colombia for Financing Death Squads

Colombian justice on Wednesday sentenced seven former executives of the multinational banana company Chiquita Brands to more than 11 years in prison and a...

Costa Rica Fails to Meet Human Rights Standards for Deportees

The Ombudsman's Office has confirmed that Costa Rica was unprepared to provide adequate care for deportees who have entered the country since February. This...

Panama Removed from EU High-Risk List, but Tax Haven Status Remains

The film The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep, damaged Panama's reputation by drawing inspiration from a real-life story: the global scandal that erupted a decade...
spot_img
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