Delta Air Lines is bringing back nonstop service between New York City and Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region, filing plans this week to fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia.
The seasonal route launches Dec. 19, just as the 2026 holiday travel season peaks, and will run once a week on Saturdays through April 10, 2027. Delta plans to operate the flights with its Airbus A321neo, a narrowbody jet the carrier has been rolling out across leisure markets.
The move restores a direct link that has been absent for years. Delta last flew the JFK–Liberia route about a decade ago, in 2016, and the airline currently offers no service at all between New York City and Costa Rica. For travelers in the tristate area, the new flight removes the need to connect through a U.S. hub, a frequent source of delays and missed connections during the winter months.
Liberia’s airport is the main gateway to Guanacaste, the northwestern area known for its Pacific beaches, surf towns and resort developments such as Papagayo. It sits well north of Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) outside the capital, San José, which remains our country’s busiest airport. For visitors heading straight to the beach, LIR typically offers a shorter ground transfer than flying into San José.
Delta already serves Liberia year-round from four of its hubs — Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis–St. Paul — making New York the latest addition to its Costa Rica network. The JFK route is part of a broader batch of Saturday-only nonstop flights the carrier is adding to leisure destinations across North America and the Caribbean in 2026, a strategy aimed at weekend travelers chasing warm-weather getaways.
The new service also lands amid steady growth in U.S. airlift to Guanacaste. JetBlue has announced expanded service to Liberia, and the airport has continued to add capacity as carriers chase rising demand for Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. For Costa Rica’s tourism sector, more direct seats from a major northeastern market ahead of the high season is a welcome signal.
Tickets for the route are expected to be available through Delta’s website and mobile app. Fares and exact departure times had not been finalized at the time of filing.
