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A new non-stop flight connecting San Juan and San José, Costa Rica is set to commence on March 31.
This new service was unveiled earlier this week by Governor Jenniffer González Colón, along with Willianette Robles Cancel, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and Alejandro Benítez, senior vice president of corporate development, alongside other Avianca officials. It will complement the airline’s thriving routes from Colombia’s Medellín and Bogotá to San Juan and is projected to generate an economic impact of $6 million during its inaugural season. The three weekly flights will introduce 16,200 additional seats to the current offerings.
Flights are scheduled for Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport at 12:40 p.m. and returning to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José at 2:10 p.m.
This new route signifies the first direct connection between the two cities in over twenty years and is Avianca’s inaugural service linking them.
“I am thrilled that we will swiftly commence efforts in tourism, an essential sector for our economic advancement, with the launch of this air service between the capitals of San Juan and San José,” the governor remarked on Tuesday. “The reconnection of these two cities, after more than two decades without direct service, presents a strategic opportunity to enhance economic and cultural relationships between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, focusing on tourism, bilateral trade, and job creation.”
González Colón mentioned that Avianca, which resumed operations in Puerto Rico in 2013, “has increased their capacity on the island threefold since they restarted operations post-pandemic in 2021.”
Robles Cancel emphasized that “the initiatives of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company aim at diversifying and enlarging the travel alternatives to the island from the Caribbean, the United States, Latin America, and Europe.”
“We are immensely eager for the launch of this new direct connection from San José through Avianca,” she stated. “The commencement of this flight enhances connectivity with Latin America, allowing more passengers to arrive from both Costa Rica and other international locations.”
Benítez, the Avianca executive, remarked that “Puerto Rico is a vital destination for tourism and commerce due to its strategic position in the Caribbean, modern infrastructure, and abundant cultural legacy.”
“For this reason, we aspire to enhance connectivity to promote the island’s development and provide further opportunities for the world to discover this remarkable destination, while also allowing Puerto Ricans more avenues to explore globally,” he concluded.
