By The Star Staff
A new direct route between San Juan and San José, Costa Rica will begin service on March 31.
The new flight was announced earlier this week by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, along with Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel, and Alejandro Benítez, senior vice president of corporate development, and other Avianca executives. It joins the Latin American airline’s successful routes from the Colombian cities of Medellín and Bogotá to San Juan, and will have an estimated economic impact of $6 million during its initial season. Its three weekly frequencies will add 16,200 seats to the existing inventory.
Flights will be available on 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.
The new route marks the first time in more than two decades that Puerto Rico has had a direct route between the two cities, and the first Avianca route between the two destinations.
“I am pleased that we will immediately begin work in tourism, a crucial area in our economic development, with the opening of this air route between the capitals of San Juan and San José,” the governor said Tuesday. “The connection of these two cities, after more than 20 years in which there was no direct service between the two destinations, represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen economic and cultural ties between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, with an emphasis on tourism, bilateral trade and job creation.”
González Colón added that Avianca, which has had operations in Puerto Rico since 2013, “have tripled their capacity on the island since the restart of their operations after the pandemic in 2021.”
Robles Cancel said “the efforts of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company are focused on diversifying and increasing the options for traveling to the island from the Caribbean, the United States, Latin America, and Europe.”
“We are very excited about the upcoming start of this new direct route from San José through Avianca” she said. “The operation of this flight offers a greater connection with Latin America, enabling the arrival of a greater number of passengers from both Costa Rica and other international destinations.”
Benítez, the Avianca executive, noted that “Puerto Rico is a key destination for tourism and business thanks to its strategic location in the Caribbean, modern infrastructure and rich cultural heritage.”
“For this reason, we want to provide more connectivity to boost the development of the island and open more opportunities for the world to know about this impressive destination, while giving Puerto Ricans more options to explore the world,” he said.
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