British Airways will increase its Costa Rica service from three to five weekly flights starting in October 2026, giving the country a larger nonstop link to the United Kingdom during the European winter travel season. The added service will run through March 2027, and the route will also shift from London Gatwick to London Heathrow, a change that gives Costa Rica access to British Airways’ main hub and a wider network of onward connections across Europe.
The airline said San José service will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. British Airways has also updated its Costa Rica booking page to note that flights to San José will depart from Heathrow beginning in October 2026 instead of Gatwick.
For Costa Rica’s tourism, the shift matters as much as the extra frequencies. Moving the route to Heathrow places our country at one of Europe’s busiest and best connected airports, which could make Costa Rica easier to reach not only from London but from other parts of the United Kingdom and the continent as well. British Airways included San José in a broader winter 2026 expansion announcement that adds capacity on several long haul routes.
The timing also comes as Costa Rica posts solid tourism figures at the start of 2026. ICT data show the country received 602,960 air arrivals in January and February combined, up 12.2% from the same period a year earlier. Of those, 15,741 visitors arrived by air from the United Kingdom, making it Costa Rica’s third largest European source market in the first two months of the year, behind only Germany and France.
The expanded British Airways schedule is expected to add more seats during one of Costa Rica’s busiest tourism periods, when demand from Europe typically rises as travelers look for winter sun destinations. For Costa Rica, the increase is another sign that airlines continue to see strong demand for service into Juan Santamaría International Airport and the broader San José area.
