American Airlines inaugurates new nonstop flight between New York City and Liberia, Costa Rica

Big Apple, meet Pura Vida.

Saturday, American Airlines launched a new direct, nonstop route between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste.

The once-weekly flight will operate Saturdays with an Airbus A321 aircraft. The new route’s schedule is as follows:

• Departs New York (JFK) at 7 a.m., arriving in Costa Rica (LIR) at 11:30 a.m.
• Departs Costa Rica (LIR) at 12:53 p.m., arriving in New York (JFK) at 7 p.m.

“This new American Airlines flight from New York City on the east coast of the United States adds 8,320 seats to the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Guanacaste, strengthening Costa Rica’s air connectivity and without a doubt the national economic activity of which tourism is a backbone,” said María Amalia Revelo, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism.

According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), the United States is Costa Rica’s primary market for tourism. From January to November 2019, nearly 1.5 million visitors from the U.S. arrived in Costa Rica, representing more than a 5% growth over 2018. 

Last month, American Airlines also launched daily, non-stop service between New York City (JFK) and Juan Santamaría International Airport near San José.