Costa Rica faced major travel disruptions this morning after a power failure crippled the national radar system, forcing the closure of its airspace and halting operations at our two main airports. The outage, which began around 6 a.m., grounded flights at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Guanacaste, leaving passengers stranded and prompting diversions to regional terminals.
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) confirmed that the radar system failure stemmed from a power issue, leading to a suspension of all takeoffs and landings. The airspace closure, effective from 6:19 a.m. to at least 12 p.m. local time, affects both domestic and international flights. Lizeth Valverde, Operations Manager at Guanacaste Airport, stated that the DGAC ordered the shutdown and expected operations to resume by midday, with flights potentially restarting as early as 11:44 a.m.
Travelers faced significant delays and cancellations, with some flights rerouted to airports in neighboring countries. At Juan Santamaría, passengers were advised to check with airlines for updates, as no aircraft could land or depart during the outage. Guanacaste Airport reported similar disruptions.
The power failure adds to recent challenges for Costa Rica’s aviation sector. Guanacaste Airport has faced scrutiny over runway maintenance issues, with closures in November 2024 causing widespread cancellations and financial losses estimated at $627,000 due to 111 canceled flights.
The airport also dealt with a staffing shortage in December of last year, leading to a temporary shutdown. Wednesday’s incident, however, appears unrelated to prior infrastructure woes, with the DGAC attributing the radar crash solely to the power outage.
The DGAC promised updates throughout the day, with Valverde assuring that further details would follow as technicians worked to restore the radar system. By noon, authorities hoped to reopen the airspace, allowing flights to resume gradually. Passengers were urged to monitor airline announcements and avoid traveling to the airports until operations normalized.
While our government has invested in airport upgrades, including a modernized runway at Guanacaste, unexpected outages like this highlight the need for better backup systems. For now, travelers are left waiting, and passengers hold their breath as the airports works to get planes back in the air.
