Q COSTARICA — Guanacaste Airport in Liberia (LIR) inaugurated two new routes from the United States and Canada on Thursday, expanding international connectivity during the peak season.
The first flight of the day arrived at 1:40 p.m. from Pearson International (YYZ), in Toronto, Canada, operated by Porter Airlines on an Embraer E195 with 132 passengers on board.
This flight marked a milestone for Costa Rican aviation, as Guanacaste became Porter’s first destination in Central America.
The opening reinforces the Canadian market’s interest in the province, one of the country’s top sun and nature destinations.
At 2:24 p.m., the JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Florida, landed, inaugurating its new year-round direct route between the two destinations.
With this addition, JetBlue now offers three direct routes to Guanacaste, including connections from Boston and New York, strengthening its presence on the U.S. East Coast.
The new service will provide greater frequency and capacity for leisure and connecting travelers seeking direct access to Costa Rica’s North Pacific coast.
Authorities from Guanacaste Airport and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) welcomed passengers in a festive atmosphere, with activities and welcome gifts.
The symbolic event reinforced the message of hospitality that characterizes the destination and celebrated the sustained growth of air connectivity.
“We welcome these new routes with enormous satisfaction, as each connection to Guanacaste strengthens our presence in two crucial markets: the United States and Canada,” stated William Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism.
The minister emphasized that the expansion comes in a challenging global context for the tourism industry.
“This expansion reaffirms the airlines’ confidence in Costa Rica as a safe, diverse, and competitive destination, even under challenging conditions in source markets,” he noted.
Both routes will facilitate direct access to the province’s beaches, national parks, and cultural attractions, boosting hotel occupancy and the tourism value chain.
The increase in flights also generates greater dynamism in sectors such as transportation, commerce, gastronomy, and recreational activities.
With these additions, Guanacaste Airport reinforces its role as a gateway to the Costa Rican Pacific and an engine of regional development.
Authorities expect that the strengthened connectivity will maintain the growth in international arrivals during the high season and throughout the rest of the year.