Juan Santamaría International Airport

History

The airport was built to replace the previous one in downtown San Jose, where Parque La Sabana is located today. The government secured funding in 1951 and construction proceeded slowly until the airport was officially inaugurated on May 2, 1958. It was initially called "Aeropuerto Internacional el Coco", after its location of the same name in the province of Alajuela. It was later renamed in honor of Juan Santamaría. In 1961, funding was secured to build the highway connecting the airport to downtown San José. In 1981, a five-year development plan was drawn for the airport. Subsequently, a new runway was built, and navigation aids including approach lights, a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR), an instrument landing system (ILS), distance measuring equipment (DME), and a radar were installed.

Ground transportation

The road access to the airport is on an exit at Route 1 and near the exit to Alajuela. There is a parking area with surcharge and a bus stop with plenty of services to San Jose downtown (with no exact schedule but with 24-hour bus service and approximately one service every 10 minutes during working hours). Licensed taxis are available in the airport and will generally accept both colónes and U.S. dollars, but not other currencies. Costa Rican taxis are red with yellow triangles on the doors, ubiquitous all over the country, and there is a special airport taxi service that is licensed and employs orange taxis. Although the rail line linking downtown Alajuela with San José's Atlantic Station passes in close proximity to the airport, it does not serve the airport, and there is no rail service of any kind to the airport.

Facilities

The airport's sole runway allows operations of wide-body aircraft. Currently, some scheduled flights are operated with Airbus A330, A340, and A350, and Boeing 747, 767, 777, and 787, for both passengers and freight. A Concorde landed in 1999 for that year's airshow.{{cite news |access-date = 2012-09-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080147/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/1999/enero/28/pais12.html |archive-date = 2016-03-04 |url-status = live |access-date = 2012-09-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060947/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2005/julio/02/aldea1.html |archive-date = 2016-03-04 |url-status = live |access-date = 2012-09-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041851/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/mayo/05/aldea1085558.html |archive-date = 2016-03-04 |url-status = live Internationally, the largest operator in the airport is Avianca and all their branches, followed by Copa Airlines, which uses the Main Terminal (M). Domestically, the largest airline is Sansa Airlines, and their flights depart from the Domestic Terminal (D). The largest U.S. airlines at the airport by number of destinations served all year long are jetBlue and United Airlines, and the largest European airline at the airport is Iberia, which is the only European airline that flies daily all year long between Europe and San José, and which operates from their base at Madrid airport using Airbus A330-200 and an Airbus A350-900XWB (especially in European winter season).

No major changes were made to the terminal until November 1997, when the government issued a decree requesting participation of private companies to manage the operations of the airport.{{cite news |access-date = 2012-08-07 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051602/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2001/mayo/05/pais1.html |archive-date = 2016-03-04 |url-status = live |access-date = 2012-08-07 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045205/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2002/marzo/15/pais3.html |archive-date = 2016-03-04 |url-status = live |access-date = 2012-08-07 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060259/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/diciembre/04/pais2182881.html |archive-date = 2016-03-04 |url-status = live |access-date = 2012-08-07 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101114204642/http://www.nacion.com/2010-11-10/ElPais/NotasSecundarias/ElPais2584451.aspx |archive-date = 2010-11-14 |url-status = live

The airport houses three business lounges for both special card holders and business class travellers: Avianca Club, Copa Club, and VIP Lounge (for BAC Credomatic customers).

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines have scheduled direct services to and/or from Juan Santamaría International Airport:

Passenger

|Aeroméxico|Mexico City |Air Canada|Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson |Air France|Paris–Charles de Gaulle |Air Transat|Montréal–Trudeau Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson |Alaska Airlines|Los Angeles |American Airlines|Charlotte, |Arajet|Santo Domingo–Las Américas |Avianca|Bogotá |Avianca Costa Rica|Bogotá, Medellín–JMC, Miami, New York–JFK, Quito, San Salvador, Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, |Avianca El Salvador|San Salvador |British Airways|Seasonal: London–Gatwick |Copa Airlines|Guatemala City, Managua, Panama City–Tocumen |Costa Rica Green Airways|Quepos, Tambor |Delta Air Lines|Atlanta, Los Angeles |Edelweiss Air|Zürich |Frontier Airlines| Seasonal: Atlanta,Orlando |Iberia|Madrid |Iberojet|Madrid |JetBlue|Fort Lauderdale, New York–JFK, Orlando |KLM|Amsterdam |LATAM Perú|Lima |Lufthansa|Frankfurt |Sansa Airlines| Bocas del Toro, Drake Bay, Golfito, La Fortuna/San Carlos, Liberia (CR), Managua, Limón, Nosara Beach, Puerto Jiménez, Quepos, Tamarindo, Tambor, Tortuguero |Southwest Airlines|Baltimore, Orlando Seasonal: Denver |Spirit Airlines|Fort Lauderdale, Orlando |United Airlines|Houston–Intercontinental, Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, Washington–Dulles |Viva | Monterrey |Volaris|Cancún |Volaris Costa Rica|Cancún, Orlando, Washington–Dulles |Volaris El Salvador|Miami, San Salvador |Wingo|Medellín–JMC, Panama City–Balboa

;[[File:Juan Santamaria International Airport - Arrives.JPG|thumb|Departures hall]][[File:AeropuertoJuanSantamaría.jpg|right|thumb|Terminal facade]]

Statistics

Juan Santamaria International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Costa Rica, having experienced a constant increase in traffic since its opening in 1958, boosted by the growing flow of tourists. The airport reached more than one million passengers per year for the first time in 1991 and having a record number of passengers in 2024. Traffic movements and freight (in metric tons) also reached a peak in 2023.

Accidents and incidents

• On August 20, 1977, a Monarch Aviation Convair CV-880 struck trees and crashed 2.5 km southeast of SJO shortly after takeoff probably because the aircraft was overweight with cargo. All 3 occupants died.
• On May 23, 1988, LACSA Flight 628, a leased Boeing 727-100 (TI-LRC) operating the route San Jose-Managua-Miami, collided with a fence at the end of the runway in the Juan Santamaria International Airport, crashed at a nearby field next to a highway, and caught fire. The excess of weight in the front part of the airplane was the cause of the accident. There were no fatalities out of the 23 occupants.
• On January 16, 1990, SANSA Flight 32 crashed into the Cerro Cedral, a mountain, shortly after takeoff from Juan Santamaria International Airport. All 20 passengers and 3 crew on board died in the crash.
• On September 3, 2007, a North American Rockwell Sabreliner 70 registration N726JR aborted the takeoff from runway 07. The airplane ran off the right side of the runway into the grass. The landing gear collapsed as the plane skidded and turned 180 degrees. The aircraft was written off.
• On April 7, 2022, DHL Aero Expreso Flight 7216, a Boeing 757-27A operated by DHL Aviation en route to Guatemala City skidded off the runway while performing an emergency landing due to a hydraulic problem. The aircraft was written off because the tail section broke off; however, there was no fire or injuries reported.
• On September 24, 2025, an electrical failure shut down the airport's radar system, resulting in the suspension of all flights in and out of Costa Rica.

References

References

1. [http://www.dgac.go.cr/ais/aip/ingles/AERODROMO%20ENG.pdf AIP - Part 3 Aerodromes] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-27)
2. {{in lang. es [https://www.dgac.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Anuario-2022.pdf Anuario Estadístico de Transporte Aéreo 2022.]
3. Calvo, Rodrigo. (2011-03-27). "Los mil rostros de La Sabana". La Nacion.
4. (1951-11-26). "En primber debate fueron aprobados el Arancel de Aduanas y la Ley de Pagos Internacionales". La Nacion.
5. Rojas, Ronny. (2008-07-09). "El Santamaría incumple normas de seguridad". Al Dia.
6. (2011-03-11). "Hace 50 años, Sábado 11 de marzo de 1961". La Nacion.
7. (1981). "Weekly Bulletin". Institut du transport aérien.
8. "VIP Services - Juan Santamaría International Airport".
9. (7 March 2025). "Costa Rica Announces $62.2 Million Expansion of Juan Santamaría International Airport". Aviacionline.
10. (May 2, 2025). "United States, Costa Rica, Guatemala: New American Airlines Expansion at Chicago O’Hare Enhances International Tourism Connections".
11. "Avianca begins sale of three new routes to the U.S.".
12. (September 2021). "Avianca strengthens connectivity from Central America with the operation of routes to the United States".
13. (May 2021). "Evelop will have flights between Madrid and San José (Costa Rica) during the summer".
14. "Southwest Just Added New Routes to the Caribbean, Mexico, and More".
15. (July 2025). "Viva extends operations to Central America".
16. (September 2025). "Volaris announces and puts on sale a new route in Honduras".
17. "Wingo anuncia dos nuevas rutas desde Medellín hacia Curazao y San José de Costa Rica: ¿cuándo empezarán a operar?".
18. (May 2021). "Wingo announces 4 new international routes".
19. [https://fracs.aero/2021/04/26/air-transport-data-bulletin-april-2021/ Air Transport Bulletin 2021]. France Aviation Civile Services
20. [https://fracs.aero/2022/04/25/air-transport-data-bulletin-april-2022/ Air Transport Bulletin 2022]. France Aviation Civile Services
21. [https://fracs.aero/2023/04/25/air-transport-data-bulletin-april-2023/ Air Transport Bulletin 2023]. France Aviation Civile Services
22. [https://fracs.aero/2024/04/29/air-transport-data-bulletin-april-2024/ Air Transport Bulletin 2024]. France Aviation Civile Services
23. [https://fracs.aero/2025/04/29/air-transport-data-bulletin-april-2025/ Air Transport Bulletin 2025]. France Aviation Civile Services
24. "N8817E".
25. "TI-LRC".
26. "N726JR".
27. Noëth, Bart. (2022-04-07). "DHL Aero Expreso Boeing 757 freighter exits runway and breaks into pieces at San Jose, Costa Rica".
28. (2025-09-24). "Costa Rica halts all flights after radar failure at main airport". AP News.