Passengers at Costa Rica’s two main international airports faced cancellations and long delays this week as a powerful winter storm in the northeastern United States disrupted air travel. Blizzard conditions, heavy snow and strong winds from Sunday into Monday forced widespread schedule changes at major U.S. hubs, including New York, Boston, Newark and Philadelphia. Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed across the region, with knock-on effects for routes linking Costa Rica and the United States.
At Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste, airlines scrubbed at least 22 U.S.-bound and inbound commercial flights between Sunday and Monday, according to preliminary tallies. Juan Santamaría accounted for 17 of those disruptions, with eight arrivals from the United States and nine departures canceled, while Guanacaste Airport registered five cancellations, three arrivals and two departures.
Operational data as of yesterday showed a further 11 cancellations and 25 delays combined at the two airports as the ripple effects continued. Affected carriers included JetBlue, United, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, WestJet and Porter Airlines. Specific cancellations at Guanacaste included JetBlue services to and from New York and Boston, along with a United Airlines flight to Newark.
Passengers in Costa Rica found themselves grounded as outbound flights to the northeastern U.S. were canceled or heavily delayed. Inbound flights originating in the storm-hit region also struggled to reach Costa Rica as U.S. airports reduced operations or temporarily closed runways due to snow and strong winds.
Airlines responded by issuing travel waivers for affected dates, allowing passengers to change flights without standard change fees and, in some cases, with reduced fare differences. Airport officials in San José and Guanacaste urged travelers to verify their flight status directly with airlines before heading to the airport and to monitor official airport websites and social media channels for real-time updates.
Although the storm began to ease yesterday, its impact on airline operations extended into the week. Carriers worked to reposition aircraft and crew at key Northeast gateways, but seats on alternative flights from Costa Rica filled quickly, limiting rebooking options. Travelers scheduled to fly to or through the affected U.S. cities were advised to contact their airline as early as possible, explore flexible travel dates and prepare for potential additional costs or longer waits at the airport.
Those already in Costa Rica and planning to fly north received notifications to adjust their itineraries, with some opting to extend their stay until schedules stabilize. Airport operators indicated that they expect timetables to normalize gradually as weather and runway conditions improve in the United States.
Outside the U.S. routes, airport operations in Costa Rica continued largely as normal. Domestic services and other international flights reported no widespread disruptions, and both SJO and Guanacaste Airport remained fully operational for unaffected destinations.
