Costa Rica Airport Closure Huge Hassle for Canadians and Operators

Canadian travel advisors, airlines, and tour operators are scrambling due to the extended closure of the airport in Liberia, Costa Rica.

The airport was forced to close on Friday, 15NOV due to extensive damage from Tropical Storm Sara. A few flights have come and gone since, but airport authorities say they expect the airport to remain mostly closed until at least 6 a.m. local time on 21NOV.

The Costa Rica Tourism Board on 20NOV announced that full operations at LIR resumed at 9 a.m. local time following the “successful completion of runway maintenance.”

The board advises pax to check flight schedules for the most current airline information.

“Tourists are stranded, unable to arrive or leave as planned, while airlines face significant logistical challenges,” said Juan Carlos Rodríguez, President of the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, said before the re-opening was announced. “The lack of foresight and coordination is unacceptable.”

Air Canada Vacations, Transat and Sunwing have all issued travel advisories for Liberia airport flights.

“Due to significant rainfall in Liberia resulting in poor road conditions and flooding, Air Canada Vacations is introducing a Goodwill Policy to offer customers travelling to Liberia, Costa Rica between November 15 – 25, 2024, the reassurance and flexibility to change their booking,” Air Canada Vacations said on its advisory website.

Passengers whose flights have been affected will be contacted by Air Canada Vacations to review other travel options. Please visit the Air Canada app for details on your revised itinerary. Also, customers headed to Liberia, Costa Rica in the upcoming days or those who are at destination, should monitor their email or phone (or any other method of communication selected when booking) to receive updates about changes to their travel itinerary. Customers who are at destination may also see the hotel front desk for updates on departure information.

Writing on its advisory site, Sunwing said northbound flights originally scheduled for 15NOV and 18NOV from Liberia were rescheduled to leave from SJO in San Jose.

“NexusTours.com, Sunwing’s trusted partner in Costa Rica, has been hard at work securing hotel accommodations for our customers and coordinating ground transfers from their hotels to the airport in San José on their revised departure dates. The transfer will take approximately five hours and will be escorted by Sunwing’s local representatives. Our customers are asked to please refer to the Sunwing App for their transfer departure time or see the Sunwing representative (supported by NexusTours.com) at the hotel,” Sunwing officials said.

WestJet also has a travel advisory out for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica tourism officials, meanwhile, are worried about long-term effects. The Tico Times said the Arenal Chamber of Tourism (Arenal CTC) expressed particular concern about the impact on the country’s vital tourism sector.

“Reliable air connectivity through Liberia Airport is essential for travelers visiting Arenal and other key destinations,” said María Amalia Revelo, President of Arenal CTC. “Without an immediate solution and clear guarantees to prevent future closures, the long-term damage to our tourism industry could be severe.”