KLM, Air Canada increase flights to Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s status as a tourist destination continues to grow.

This month, two major international airlines have announced additional flights to Costa Rica. KLM, the flag-carrier airline of the Netherlands, added a route to Liberia, while Air Canada will now offer uninterrupted service to the Guanacaste province throughout September and October.

KLM announces flights to Liberia, Costa Rica

In early April, KLM announced it will expand its network with flights to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport. The new route, which will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, will commence in October.

“Guanacaste is the second-largest region of Costa Rica,” said Pieter Elbers, KLM’s CEO. “The region is known for its beautiful nature, which makes it a unique holiday destination in combination with San José. All this makes Guanacaste Liberia a valuable addition to our KLM network.”

Starting Oct. 29, Costa Rica will receive KLM flights from Amsterdam-Schiphol to San José (SJO) and Guanacaste-Liberia (LIR) on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Passengers will be able to fly to or from either Costa Rican airport on the same ticket, according to KLM.

Air Canada will fly up to 6,500 more visitors to Costa Rica

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) announced Air Canada will also increase its offerings to Costa Rica. This year, the Canadian flag carrier will fly to Liberia in September and October for the first time.

Previously, Air Canada had suspended its Liberia route during those months and resumed it during the tourist-heavy month of November.

ICT says Air Canada’s Toronto-Liberia and Toronto-San José routes will have the capacity for 6,500 more visitors in 2019 than in 2018.

“We are very happy to announce this important step from Air Canada for Costa Rica,” said María Amalia Revelo, the Minister of Tourism. “Above all, maintaining operations during the months of September and October to both international airports is a great boost to the tourism sector, especially to the province of Guanacaste.”

Data from ICT shows more than 217,000 Canadians visited Costa Rica in 2018, and 92% of them arrived via air travel.

Canadian tourism comprised 7% of total international arrivals to Costa Rica, according to ICT.