HomeThrowback ThursdayTBT: When LACSA flew the colors of Costa Rica across the Americas

TBT: When LACSA flew the colors of Costa Rica across the Americas

LACSA, or Lineas Aéreas Costarricenses S.A., once flew the colors of Costa Rica throughout North, Central and South America.

Founded in 1945 with financing from the Costa Rican government, Pan American World Airways and private investments, LACSA soon became the national airline. It operated international flights from its hub in San José to destinations across the Americas.

In 1998, LACSA became a member airline of TACA (Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano). In 2009, TACA announced its merger with the Colombian airline Avianca, which all but eliminated the LACSA name and brand.

This photo, taken in March 1993, shows a LACSA Boeing 737-296. The plane, registered as LN-BRL, was first delivered to Quebecair in 1980 and enjoyed a brief stint with LACSA between 1992 and 1993, according to Air Fleets.

Photo attribution: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Trending Now

Thousands March as Costa Rica Lawmakers Cut 8 Billion Colones From Public Universities

Thousands of students, university staff, union members and social activists marched through San José yesterday against cuts to public university funding. Late that night,...

No Roads, No Cars, Just Tarpon at Costa Rica’s Silver King Lodge

How a remote Caribbean river became tarpon fishing's proving ground, and how Silver King Lodge is reviving it.

Costa Rica’s Cahuita Tourism Businesses Struggle After Major Drug Raids

Tourism businesses in Cahuita, one of our best-known Caribbean destinations, are struggling with fewer visitors, declining sales and concerns about the town's reputation following...

Costa Rica Conservation Groups Back U.S. Bill to Ban Sloth Imports After 58 Deaths

Two sloth conservation groups working in Costa Rica helped shape the bipartisan SLOTHS Act, which would ban most live sloth imports into the United States after dozens of animals died at a Florida attraction.

Cocaine Seizures in Costa Rica Jump Nearly 50% in 2026

Costa Rican authorities seized more than 40 metric tons of cocaine during the first eight months of 2026, a nearly 50% increase over the...

Costa Rica Farmer Olga Vargas Named Among FAO’s 100 Women Heroes

Olga Vargas, a farmer who grows guavas and raises tilapia in southern Costa Rica, has been named among 100 women recognized by the United...

US Citizens in La Fortuna Can Renew Passports Locally This Thursday

If you are a US citizen living near Arenal, you can renew your passport this Thursday without making the trip to San José. The...

University March Will Slow San José Traffic Tuesday From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you need to get across eastern San José or downtown tomorrow, plan around a national march against cuts to public university funding. Marchers...

Costa Rica Faces an $882 Million Revenue Hole as Courts, Police and Schools Take Cuts

Costa Rica expects to collect about ₡400,000 million ($882 million) less than it budgeted for 2026, and the Finance Ministry is asking lawmakers to...
Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel