Published on Wednesday, March 25, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica will see expanded air service from the United Kingdom as British Airways increases its nonstop flights to the country, the Tourism Institute (ICT) announced.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, the London-based carrier will increase service from three to five weekly flights. The additional flights will operate every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between Heathrow International Airport (LHR) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), located in Alajuela province.

According to the airline, outbound flights will depart London at 11 a.m. local time and arrive in Costa Rica at 5 p.m. local time. Return flights will depart San José at 7 p.m. local time and arrive in London at 11 a.m. the following day. All flights will be operated using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner configured to seat 200 passengers.

British Airways said additional details about the expanded LHR-SJO service will be released soon on its official website.

 

Costa Rica continues to attract British travelers, with more than 15,000 visitors from the United Kingdom arriving by air as of February, according to ICT data.

The expansion comes amid broader growth in international air service to the country. Recently, LOT Polish Airlines announced the first-ever nonstop route between Costa Rica and Poland, marking the first direct air connection between the two nations.

Costa Rica is also intensifying efforts to draw more European tourists. Tourism officials recently participated in the ITB Berlin Tourism Convention, one of the world’s largest travel industry events.

In addition, Costa Rica this week received the Forbes Travel Award in the Best Nature Destination category, reflecting its reputation as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

The country was ranked the happiest in the Americas in the 2026 edition of the World Happiness Report.

Tourism remains one of Costa Rica’s leading industries. In 2025, the country welcomed more than 2.6 million tourists arriving by air.

In 2024, the tourism sector generated more than $5.4 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

The ICT is the government agency responsible for promoting Costa Rica’s tourism industry.

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