No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeAirlinesBritish Airways adds nonstop flights between San José and London

British Airways adds nonstop flights between San José and London

European tourists will have a new option to travel to Costa Rica with the launch next week of a new nonstop British Airways flight between London and San José.

The route will offer two flights a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, during the European summer, and three flights a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, in its winter season.

The inaugural flight of the new route between London’s Gatwick Airport and Juan Santamaría International Airport outside of San José arrived Wednesday.

President Luis Guillermo Solís and various government officials welcomed the first travelers with traditional Tico music and dances.

The president said the new route is a milestone for Costa Rica’s tourism industry, as it is the second direct connection to a European destination.

Previously the only nonstop flight connecting to Europe was Iberia’s route between Madrid and San José.

“This new route demonstrates our country’s good positioning as a great option for European tourists. British Airways chose us as its first destination in Central America and this will result in great benefits for both our tourist and foreign trade sectors,” Solís said.

The commercial director of British Airways at Gatwick, Colm Lacy, said Costa Rica offers European tourists “a great variety of amazing places to visit and hotel options that can be enjoyed by either families looking for a relaxing stay or by travelers looking for adventure.”

Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura noted that European tourists have an average stay in Costa Rica of 17 nights and spend an average of $1,660, “the highest among all of our priority tourism markets.”

A total of 400,000 Europeans entered the country by air in 2015, representing a 6.8 percent increase over the previous year, the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) reported.

Of those, a total of 37,492 were British tourists, accounting for a 21.8 percent increase from 2014.

ICT officials expect the new direct route to facilitate connections with other European destinations, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Barcelona, ​​Rome and Dublin.

Costa Rica’s flights to and from European destinations currently includes direct flights between Costa Rica and Spain from Iberia, indirect flights between Frankfurt and San José from Condor and, starting in November, a new Munich-San José route from Condor. Starting Nov. 2, Air France will offer two weekly flights between San José and Paris.

ICT estimates that the entry into operation of all these routes for Costa Rica will mean a total of 5,177 weekly available seats for flights from European cities.

For more info: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_cr

Contact Laianer Arias at larias@ticotimes.net.

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Approves Extradition of Ex-Minister Gamboa and Associates

A Costa Rican court has approved the extradition of former Security Minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez to the United States on charges of international cocaine...

Back North from Costa Rica: An Expat’s Culture Shock

I am presently away from Costa Rica. I am in a foreign country. I was born here, but it is now a different place...

Riu Guanacaste Hotel Reopens in Costa Rica After Renovation

The Riu Guanacaste hotel in Costa Rica has reopened after a complete renovation, welcoming guests back to its beachfront spot on Matapalo Beach. The...

New Poison Dart Frog Species Discovered in Peru’s Amazon

Peruvian researchers have identified a new poison dart frog in the Amazon rainforest, adding to the region's rich array of wildlife. The tiny creature,...

5 Top Costa Rican Restaurants on TripAdvisor’s Best List

Costa Rica's restaurants have landed spots on TripAdvisor's global list of top dining spots this year. Five local places made the cut in the...

Costa Rica 2026 Elections Kick Off: 20 Candidates Vie for Presidency

Costa Rica's electoral season began yesterday with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's official call for the 2026 national elections. Eugenia Zamora, the TSE president, described...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica