Air Transat will add a new nonstop route between Quebec City and Costa Rica starting December 15, giving travelers a direct link from Jean Lesage International Airport to Juan SantamarÃa International Airport in San José. The route was announced as part of the airline’s winter 2026-2027 program, and published schedule data list the service as beginning with one flight per week.
The new flight adds to Costa Rica’s air access from Canada at a time when that market is posting strong growth. Data released by the Costa Rican Tourism Board and reported by EFE show the country received 146,841 visitors by air from Canada in the first quarter of 2026, a 27.5% jump from the same period a year earlier. That made Canada Costa Rica’s second-largest source market for air arrivals, behind only the United States.
For Costa Rica, the route is another gain in a market that has become increasingly important during the high season. Air Transat’s broader winter announcement also expanded service from Quebec City to other southern destinations and extended its seasonal Quebec City to Nantes route through the holiday period, showing the airline is putting more weight behind the airport’s winter network.
That matters for Costa Rica because Canadian travelers tend to stay longer and spend steadily once they arrive. An ICT market profile published in 2025 says Canadian visitors stay an average of 15.4 nights and spend about $227.50 per person per day. The same report says their top interests include beach vacations, hiking, volcano visits, wildlife observation, zip-lining and other outdoor activities that line up closely with Costa Rica’s tourism offer.
Official migration statistics point in the same direction. ICT data for all entry points show total Canadian tourist arrivals to Costa Rica reached 153,434 from January through March 2026, up 26.7% from a year earlier. That rise outpaced the overall increase from Europe during the same period and underlined how much of Costa Rica’s recent tourism growth is being driven by North America.
The Quebec City route will not transform the market on its own, but it adds one more direct connection ahead of the northern winter and gives Costa Rica another opening in a country that continues to send more visitors south. For travelers in Quebec, it also means a simpler trip to Costa Rica just as airlines lock in their sun-season schedules.
