Guanacaste airport receives first flight with passengers from the United States

Guanacaste airport, a member of the VINCI Airports network since 2018, restarted scheduled flights this Saturday, September 5, upon receiving its first flight with passengers from the United States of North America, after 170 days of closure due to the global health emergency.

The restart of operations with passenger flights occurs after the Government of the Republic enabled, as of September 1, the entry of residents of nine US States.
 
The United Airlines airline, from New Jersey, arrived this Saturday minutes before 12:00 noon with 68 passengers. Flight care followed compliance with the corresponding health protocols and the entry requirements of all passengers were validated.
 
"Tourism activity in the Chorotega region has been affected in recent months due to the country's health situation. We know that the tourism sector is key for the region and we believe that the reopening of the Daniel Oduber airport will promote a recovery in economic activities of the Guanacaste province ”, stated Claudia Dobles, First Lady and in charge of priority issues for the Chorotega region.
 
“The start of scheduled flights to Liberia is of enormous relevance for the gradual reactivation of tourism in the province of Guanacaste, La Fortuna and Monteverde, given that travelers who enter through Daniel Oduber traditionally also visit those regions. Although we will receive fewer tourists than before the pandemic, they are safe and firm steps in the face of the high season that begins in December ”, said Gustavo Segura, Rector Minister of Tourism. The hierarch reiterated the call for strict compliance with the protocols to maintain the long-term sustainability of the opening of tourism.
 
Since September 1, the country allows the arrival of American tourists from Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, D.C. And as of September 15, three more states will be allowed: Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
 
“The arrival of the first flight from the United States is a small step, but great news for a region that depends largely on tourism. At CORIPORT we work continuously to be a development tool for the region, and with the support of the private sector and the Government, we are sure that we will once again attract thousands of international tourists ”, commented César Jaramillo, general manager of CORIPORT, concessionaire from the passenger terminal of the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport.
 
In this sense, it is important to note that although Florida, Georgia and Texas are not authorized States, their airports can be used for connection and transit of passengers whose flights originate in States authorized to enter Costa Rica as long as they do not leave the airport.
 
“United Airlines celebrates 30 years of flying to Costa Rica and what better way to celebrate it than by returning to a world-class destination; We are very proud to be able to contribute once again to the economic and tourist development of the country by joining Guanacaste with the world, "said Carlos Granados Hernández, United Airlines sales manager for Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
 
Before the border closures, the Guanacaste Airport connected 25 destinations in North America and Europe. In 2019, the airport registered a traffic of 599,433 passengers, reaching 8.5% growth compared to 2018.
 
Recently, the Airports Council International (ACI) granted the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, the Airport Health Accreditation, which was obtained after this body evaluated the health and protection measures of the people that are applied in the passenger terminal, thus making it the third airport in the world to receive this accreditation.