Flights between San Juan & San Jose, Costa Rica begin

The flight out of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina marked the first time in more than two decades that there has been a direct route between San Juan and San José, Costa Rica, and the new route is Avianca’s first between the two destinations.

By The Star Staff

The group of passengers boarding the first flight of the new direct route between San Juan and San José, Costa Rica were greeted at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LMM) in Carolina earlier this week by officials from the Puerto Rico and Costa Rica governments and Colombian airline Avianca.

Tuesday’s maiden flight marked the first time in more than two decades that there has been a direct route between the two cities, and the new route is Avianca’s first between the two destinations. The route’s economic impact during its initial season is estimated to be some $6 million. The three-weekly schedule will add 16,200 seats to the island’s current inventory.

“The flight between San José and San Juan opens new opportunities for Puerto Rico’s economic growth, our tourism industry, and the diversification of our offerings for our visitors,” said Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel on Tuesday. “... This collaboration reinforces Puerto Rico’s position as the Caribbean’s aviation hub in the international market and will help attract more tourists by providing direct travel options from one of Central America’s main airports.”

Viviana Martín, global director of institutional relations for Avianca, added that “San Juan and San José are two very important destinations for tourism in the Caribbean and Central America.”

“With this new route, we will be strengthening our offering to connect our customers in Puerto Rico, where we currently also fly from Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia,” she said. “This new operation to San José also opens the door to two-way tourism, not only with Costa Rica, but with the entire Central American region, so that more travelers can explore the beauty of Puerto Rico.”

Nelman Nevárez, director of operations for LMM manager Aerostar, added that the new flight “aligns with our mission to offer more destination options and improve connectivity for our passengers.”

The flights between LMM and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) will be available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, arriving at LMM at 12:40 p.m. and returning to SJO at 2:10 p.m.