Most airlines suspending flights to Costa Rica

The majority of the airlines that serve Costa Rica are suspending or limiting their flights to the country in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to a sharp decrease in passengers worldwide due to COVID-19, carriers are being impacted by travel restrictions imposed by Costa Rica and several countries throughout the region.

The U.S. State Department recommends that international travelers return home as soon as possible unless they are prepared to remain abroad indefinitely.

Here’s the latest information for flights to/from Juan Santamaría International Airport as provided by Aeris, which manages SJO:

• AEROMEXICO: Suspended operations from March 19 to April 12.
• AIR CANADA: Will operate its last flight on April 3 and will suspend operations until further notice.
• AIR FRANCE: Maintains its operations until March 22.
• AIR PANAMA: Suspended operations from March 17 to April 2.
• AIR TRANSAT: Liberia and San Jose – Vancouver, TS797 and TS377, April 1 to 25, 2020 departures cancelled. Passengers who are at destination will be re-routed on flights TS797 on March 18, TS377 on March 21, TS797 on March 25 and TS377 on March 28. Note that flight TS797 on March 18 will depart from Liberia airport: passengers will have to get to San José first, where they will be transferred by shuttle to Liberia airport.
• ALASKA: Will suspend operations from Sunday March 22 until April 12.
• ALBATROS: Operations are suspended until April 17. It will have two rescue flights on March 20 and 27.
• AMERICAN AIRLINES: Suspending operations from March 26 to the beginning of May.
• AVIANCA: Suspending all international flights from March 23 until April 30. 
• BRITISH AIRWAYS: Will suspend operations from March 30 to June 27.
• CONDOR: Operations are suspended from March 19 to April 16. There is a rescue flight from March 21 to March 22.
• COPA AIRLINES: Suspending all international flights through April 21. 
• DELTA:
  DL786-1396 will operate until March 28, inclusive.
  DL900-903 will operate until March 31, inclusive.
  DL325-DL902 will operate until March 31, inclusive.
  In April, it will only operate flights DL900-DL903 on April 18 and 25.
  It is estimated to resume normal operations gradually from May 2.
• EDELWEISS: To date, the information is as follows:
  March 20: WK36 ZRH-SJO / March 20 WK37 SJO-ZRH
  March 22: WK36 ZRH-SJO / March 23 WK37 SJO-ZRH
  March 24: WK36 ZRH-SJO / 25 March WK37 SJO-ZRH
  March 27: WK5036 ZRH-SJO / WK37 SJO-ZRH
  March 29: WK5036 ZRH-SJO / WK37 SJO-ZRH
  Further operations to be confirmed after the last date.
• IBERIA: Suspending flights on the dates: March 25, 28, 29, 30 and 31. April data pending. 
• INTERJET: From March 20 to April 13, there will only be flight AIJ3920 and AIJ3921 at noon. On March 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 28 and April 01, 08, and 12, operates flight AIJ3923 and AIJ3922.
• JETBLUE: Suspended operations from March 19 to April 12.
• KLM: For winter itinerary, operations run until March 28. An extra flight is in process for March 26.
• LATAM: Suspended operations from March 16 to April 13.
• LUFTHANSA: Suspended its operations from March 22 to April 13.
• SKYWAY: Canceled international operations to Bocas del Toro from March 20 until further notice.
• SOUTHWEST: Suspending operations to Costa Rica from March 23 to May 3. Two flights are scheduled for March 19 and March 22 in rescue mode to take passengers to the United States.
• SPIRIT AIRLINES: will maintain its operations from April 1 to 7, then suspend flights NKS335-338. It will suspend operations from April 8 to 21. 
• UNITED AIRLINES: Last flights will depart on March 25 and return to operations on May 5.
• VOLARIS: Suspends flights VOC4090-4091 (SJO-SAL-LAX) VOC4082-4083 (SJO-SAL-KIAD) VOC4084-4085 (SJO-SAL-JFK) VOC4092-4093 (SJO-SAL-GUA-LAX). The airline reports that it suspends operations until mid-April.
• WESTJET: Last flight is on March 21 and is then suspended until further notice.
• WINGO: Canceling operations from March 20 to April 30.

Cargo airlines are maintaining normal itineraries to SJO. Passengers should rely on their airline for the latest information, as the situation is rapidly evolving.

Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste has not shared detailed information about route suspensions; check with your airline for further information.

Costa Rica is not allowing tourists to enter the country until April 13 in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

This story was updated at 12:00 p.m. Monday with new information from Air Transat.