Costa Rica Air TravelCosta Rica air travel is served through it’s two primary international airports, with a third soon to be built in the southern region. The country’s main airport terminal, Juan Santamaria, is located in the capital city of San Jose, and the Daniel Oduber airport, located in the northern region of the country near Liberia. There are also many small regional airports in towns throughout the country that can easily be reached by domestic flights departing from the domestic terminal of the Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose. The two local airlines servicing the domestic routes are Sansa Airlines and Nature Air. 
With the ongoing growth in tourism, the country’s airports have been under increasing pressure. While the government was attempting to address the need for additional airport infrastructure, with plans to build and expand it’s airport facilities, progress was delayed for some time due to contract disputes. The $100 million dollar expansion plan for the country’s main airport facility, the Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose, was stalled for over 2 years, tied up in the courts with legal proceedings between the government and the contractor who was hired to renovate and operate the airport. The Daniel Oduber airport completed in the mid 1990’s added a major boon to the tourism industry in the northern region as it expanded Costa Rica air travel. This tiny airport was soon packed with tourists and major overhaul and expansion plans were undertaken for the additional of a 2nd terminal for this airport. A new temporary departure terminal was completed in March 2007. The full $16 million dollar expansion for this airport near Liberia is under tender for construction companies to complete the work. Construction would begin in January 2008 for completion in 2009. The Liberia airport currently handles approx. 45,000 passengers in the busier months of February and March this year, with growth of over 20% from the same period in 2006. 40 direct flights a week from the United States arrive in Daniel Oduber International each month, along with several charter airline company flights from the east and west coasts of Canada. Now a third international airport is will further enhance Costa Rica air travel. This new airport is to be built in the southern region of Costa Rica, between Palmar Sur and Sierpe, north of the town of Golfito. The location for this new airport was selected in March 2006. In July 2007 the president Oscar Arias and other ministers met with the president of the Southern Zone Regional Development Board and signed the agreement to permit the construction of the new airport. The first phase to be built will allow for regional medium planes of up to 50 passengers on an 1800 meter runway. It will then be expanded to handle international flights with larger planes like 737’s. The Costa Rica government is very supportive of development in the southern region, which is further confirmed by the statement made by President Arias after signing the airport approval that “the new airport could open up opportunities for the Southern Zone the way the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia has helped spur development in the northwest province of Guanacaste. Check out more information on the
upcoming development area
in the south of Costa Rica and a
pre-development opportunity
in a new luxury resort.
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