The Swiss airline Edelweiss will start operations from Zurich (ZHR) to Guanacaste Airport (LIR), Costa Rica, for the first time beginning November 28.
Edelweiss will operate direct flights on Sundays arriving the San José area at 6:35 p.m. and continuing to Guanacaste that evening. The non-stop from LIR to Zurich leaves at 10:00 p.m.:
| Origin | Departure Time | Destination | Arrival Time |
| Zurich (ZHR) | 13:15 | San José (SJO) | 18:35 |
| San José (SJO) | 20:05 | Guanacaste (LIR) | 20:50 |
| Guanacaste (LIR) | 22:00 | Zurich (ZRH) | 15:55 ₊₁ |
The route will use an Airbus A340-300 with a capacity of 334 passengers. Tickets for the new flight go on sale Friday.
“It is extraordinary news that Edelweiss makes connection for the first time with Guanacaste Airport, opening the possibility for travelers from Europe, and particularly from Switzerland, to visit our country entering through the North Pacific with an intermediate stop in San José,” said Gustavo Segura, Tourism Minister.
“Furthermore, this triangle flight shows how two international airports — Juan Santamaría and Daniel Oduber — can complement each other, giving added value to the Costa Rica as a destination and strengthening it.”
Patrick Heymann, Commercial Director of Edelweiss, said in a statement that the airline is “looking forward to connecting another part of Costa Rica’s rich natural diversity to our network.”
According to data from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, Switzerland represented the seventh-largest source market for tourists from Europe prior to the pandemic. In 2019, nearly 28,000 Swiss travelers arrived in Costa Rica.
The average Swiss tourists stays 18 days and primarily enjoys beach and hiking activities, according to Tourism Board surveys.
In addition to the new Edelweiss Air flight, Guanacaste Airport in November will also see increased service from Denver, Colorado (Southwest); Chicago, Illinois, and Austin, Texas (American Airlines); and Orlando, Florida (Frontier).
