Enjoying the Future of Local Flights from Costa Rica’s Newest Domestic Terminal
We are moving on up…welcome to Costa Rica’s newest domestic airport terminal, dedicated to regional flights within the country. Even though today this new terminal is only used by Sansa, it is expected that by December 2018, three additional carriers will operate out of this new high-tech and comfortable space.
In the past, travelers to Costa Rica have relied on only two airlines for their domestic flights. As one could expect, with Costa Rica’s fast growing and changing tourism industry, which has been in an upward trajectory for many years, this situation has created a vacuum for other airlines to offer regional services as well.
Today, three new local airlines are currently in the process of getting their Aerial Operator Certification (COA) through the General Directorate of Civil Aviation with the purpose of offering flights to the main tourist sites within the Costa Rica.
The three new airlines are:
1) Costa Rica Green Airways hopes to receive approval to begin operations in September 2018. Their business plan is to offer daily flights to Nosara, Tambor, Puerto Jimenez, Golfito, Liberia, Quepos and Tamarindo by the time the high season arrives in December 2018. Green Airways is expected to enter the market with competitive prices, faster planes and more capacity for luggage.
2) TAC Guatemala is a company with over 50 years of experience in their home country. It has now turned its sights towards the Costa Rican market. TAC Airlines Costa Rica is halfway through its approval process and hopes to initiate operations in November of this year. They will offer flights to Liberia, Tambor, Quepos and Puerto Jimenez from the Tobias Bolaños Airport in Pavas. If things go as planned, they will add three more destinations in 2019.
3) Skyway, an airline that currently offers charter flights, is also working on being part of the domestic flight market starting in mid-November from the Juan Santamaría Airport. They will have flights to Puerto Jimenez, Drake Bay, Bocas del Toro, Liberia and Quepos.
All this to say that the future looks very bright for visitors to Costa Rica as competition always manages to reduce pricing and improve service.
The new domestic airport terminal features a café serving a variety of drinks and snacks. This new terminal also provides AC outlets for each seat and one USB port for every two seats. But the best part is that there is ample room and comfortable seating. We dare say one of the nicest and most comfortable seating areas of any airport, anywhere! And just imagine, a regional terminal with ten check-in counters and four terminal gates. For sure…we are moving on up!
