No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaUnited Airlines increases Costa Rica repatriation flights, including from Liberia International Airport

United Airlines increases Costa Rica repatriation flights, including from Liberia International Airport

The United States Embassy has coordinated with United Airlines and Spirit Airlines to offer repatriation flights from Costa Rica throughout July.

For the first time since Costa Rica closed its borders to arriving tourists, some of the flights will operate from Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste.

In addition, United Airlines will offer daily weekday flights between Juan Santamaría International Airport and Houston through July 17.

Below are details from the U.S. Embassy:

* * * *

The U.S. Embassy in San Jose and the U.S. State Department have coordinated with Spirit Airlines to offer commercial repatriation flights from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica, to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (FLL) on Wednesday, July 8 and Wednesday, July 15.  These flights will depart SJO at 1:00pm and arrive at FLL at 6:10pm.  Please visit www.spirit.com for more information.  

United Airlines will now offer daily commercial repatriation flights from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica to Houston, Texas (IAH) through July 17.  These flights will take place once daily on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday through July 17.  Please visit www.United.com for details on pricing and flight times.  

United Airlines has added one flight a week from Daniel Oduber Quiros Airport in Liberia (LIR) to Houston (IAH).  These flights will take place on July 10, July 17, July 24, and July 31.  Please visit www.United.com for details on pricing and flight times.     

These flights are open to public booking but seats are limited.  The U.S. Embassy is not able to assist with arranging onward travel from Ft. Lauderdale or Houston.  Policies regarding luggage allowances and seating arrangements will be managed by Spirit and United Airlines.

Please visit www.spirit.com or www..united.com for further information regarding availability and connections.  The cost of these flights will be based on the passenger’s final destinations.  These prices are set by Spirit and United Airlines.    

* * * *

Costa Rican citizens or permanent residents who last left the country before March 26 can book tickets for flights from the United States to SJO through the airlines. Arriving passengers will be issued a 14-day home isolation order.

At this time, the United Airlines flights from Houston to Libera (LIR) are not available for booking on the airline’s website. (You may be able to purchase a ticket if you contact United directly; however, the Health Ministry has previously said that arriving repatriation flights must use SJO for logistical purposes.)

Click here for information from SJO about planned flights to/from Costa Rica in upcoming months.

Costa Rica plans to reopen its borders to tourists from select countries on August 1.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Reaches the Heart of the Romería on the Feast of La Negrita

Today is the day the walking stops. August 2 is the feast of the Virgen de los Ángeles, the small dark stone image Costa...

Costa Rica Police Report Links 116 Officers to Criminal Groups

A confidential police intelligence report has flagged 116 Fuerza Pública officers stationed along Costa Rica's southern border, describing alleged collaboration with drug trafficking, liquor...

Novak Djokovic Returns to Cincinnati With US Open History at Stake

Novak Djokovic will return to the Cincinnati Open in August, choosing one final hard-court tournament before resuming his pursuit of a record 25th Grand...

Costa Rica’s Alondra Ortiz Wins Gold in 200-Meter Butterfly

Costa Rican swimmer Alondra Ortiz won the women’s 200-meter butterfly at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, delivering the first swimming gold medal...

Panama Named the World’s Best Country for Expats for a Third Straight Year

Panama has been ranked the best country in the world for people living abroad for the third consecutive year, according to the Expat Insider...

Jabiru Count Brings Hope for Costa Rica’s Threatened Wetlands

Costa Rica’s latest national jabiru count recorded nine active nests and 19 chicks during the 2026 breeding season, offering cautious hope for one of...

Boston Scientific Confirms Costa Rica Layoffs in $800M Plan

Boston Scientific has confirmed that its Costa Rican operation forms part of a global restructuring program that sets aside as much as $300 million...

Costa Rica Pressed to Improve Conditions for Indigenous Coffee Workers

More than 500 people and organizations, among them three former presidents of Costa Rica and Panama, have signed a public statement demanding that the...

Wiretaps Allege Costa Rica Police Tipped Off Diablo’s Criminal Network

Wiretap recordings incorporated into the criminal case against the organization led by Alejandro Arias Monge, known by the alias "Diablo," describe a network of...
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

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