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‘Guanacaste Airport’ is new name for LIR

Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) has a new name.

The northern Costa Rica airport has rebranded from “Liberia International Airport” to “Guanacaste Airport,” authorities announced Thursday morning.

The new name and commercial brand of the air terminal has the objective of improving the visibility and attractiveness of Guanacaste in international markets.

“Guanacaste Airport will be our spearhead to position the province and its beauties, as well as all the facilities that the terminal offers to tourists and airlines. Its fresh image represented by a turtle shows the environmental commitment of our country and the kind of tourist we are looking for,” explained César Jaramillo, general manager.

The airport will maintain its official aeronautical abbreviations (IATA: LIR, ICAO: MRLB), the Civil Aviation Administration said.

Guanacaste Airport is Costa Rica’s second-busiest, behind Juan Santamaría (SJO) near the capital of San José. In 2019, nearly 600,000 people transited through LIR, which represented an 8.5% increase over 2018.

Passenger numbers plummeted in 2020, but authorities said June 2021 represented a return to pre-pandemic traffic.

Guanacaste Airport has also been recognized by Airports Council International among the “Best Airports by Size & Region” in three consecutive years.

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