Airlines will offer nearly 300,000 seats on flights to Costa Rica in December

Airlines will offer nearly 300,000 seats on flights to Costa Rica in December, up almost ninefold over October.

According to a Tourism Ministry report, up to 299,800 people will be able to enter Costa Rica via air in the last month of 2020. That reflects a significant increase compared to the 37,000 seats available during October.

Despite the added availability, Tourism Minister Gustavo Segura acknowledged that while Costa Rica is “stimulating demand” from tourists, the coronavirus pandemic will impact the popularity of international travel over the next several years.

“The hard reality is that the future demand isn’t going to be as healthy as what we hoped,” Segura said Thursday. A gradual return to pre-pandemic levels “is a complex one to answer, because it relies on factors outside of Costa Rica’s control.”

Air arrivals to Costa Rica fell 97% in September 2020 compared to the same month in 2019. In December of last year, 255,611 visitors flew to Costa Rica — more than half (134,624) from the United States.

Airlines flying to Costa Rica in 2020

Below is the list of airlines that Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) says will fly there in 2020. Dates are subject to change as coronavirus restrictions and reduced demand continue to impact international travel. Contact the airline for more information.

• AEROMEXICO: Resumed flights in October. 
• AIR CANADA: Resumes flights on November 1 from Toronto. 
• AIR FRANCE: Resumes flights on October 31 from Paris.  
• ALASKA: Resumes flights on November 19 from Los Angeles. 
• AMERICAN AIRLINES: Resumed operations in September.
• AVIANCA: Resumes flights on November 1 from El Salvador and Bogotá. 
• BRITISH AIRWAYS: Resumes flights on December 27 from London. 
• COPA AIRLINES: Resumed operations in September. 
• DELTA: Resumes flights on November 2 from Atlanta, and on December 17 from Los Angeles. 
• IBERIA: Resumed operations in August. 
• JETBLUE: Resumes flights in November from Fort Lauderdale (Nov. 1), Orlando (Nov. 4) and New York (Nov. 20). 
• KLM: Resumes flights on November 26 from Amsterdam. 
• LUFTHANSA: Resumed operations in August. 
• SPIRIT AIRLINES: Resumed operations in September. 
• UNITED AIRLINES: Resumed operations in September. 
• VOLARIS: Resumes flights on October 29 to Mexico (via Guatemala) and in November to Cancún. 
• WINGO: Resumes flights on November 16 from Bogotá. 

Costa Rica is welcoming flights from anywhere in the world as of November 1. Click here for the official list of tourist entry requirements during the pandemic.

We updated the headline on this story after publication to reflect the numbers listed in the Tourism Board report.