Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica is quietly revolutionizing emergency medical care with its nighttime air ambulance flights, a service that’s proving to be a lifesaver for many in critical situations.
Traditionally, air ambulance flights have been limited to daylight hours due to safety concerns and regulatory constraints. After months of uncertainty since Civil Aviation banned most nighttime air ambulance flights last October, Costa Rica has finally approved a national protocol to regulate them.
Now, nighttime air ambulance flights will be permitted from only five airfields and airports: Limón, Palmar Sur, Coto 47 near Ciudad Neily, Tobías Bolaños in Pavas, and Daniel Oduber in Liberia, in addition to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO).
Excluded are airfields and airports in other regions of the country, such as tourist destinations like Tamarindo, Quepos, and Puerto Jiménez.
This was defined in the Protocolo Nacional para la Coordinación de Traslado Aéreo Nocturno de Pacientes en Estado Crítico (National Protocol for the Coordination of Nighttime Air Transfers of Critically Ill Patients), the definitive document establishing the rules for the operation of these flights.
The availability of lighting and police presence at these locations was a key factor in their selection.
Nighttime air ambulance flights will be available only for critically ill patients with imminent risk to their lives and when it is not possible to wait until daylight for the transfer.
The regulations were developed jointly by the Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC), the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS or Caja), and the Air Surveillance Service.
During the period of restriction, transfers had to be carried out by land or wait until daylight hours, which jeopardized the lives of urgent patients.
This change matters. Costa Rica’s diverse terrain—dense rainforests, rugged mountains, and remote coastal areas—can make ground ambulance trips slow or impossible during emergencies. Nighttime flights ensure that patients in isolated communities get urgent care without delay, whether it’s a heart attack, severe trauma, or complicated childbirth.
Safety remains paramount. Night flights follow rigorous protocols, from weather assessments to communication checks, minimizing risks while maximizing reach.
For many, this means peace of mind. The assurance that, no matter the hour, life-saving help is just a flight away is a quiet but profound upgrade to the country’s healthcare system.