Published on Thursday, February 19, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Tourism Institute (ICT) announced Thursday the launch of the first-ever nonstop route between Costa Rica and Poland, marking the first time the two countries will be connected by direct air service.

LOT Polish Airlines will operate nonstop flights between Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste province and two Polish airports: Warsaw Chopin International Airport (WAW) in Warsaw City and Katowice Wojciech Korfanty International Airport (KTW) in Katowice City, authorities said.

The pilot program will begin with the Warsaw–Liberia route, operating once a week from Oct. 8 through Oct. 29. The Katowice–Liberia route will operate one weekly flight from Dec. 5 through Dec. 17.

 

The new service was made possible through an agreement between CORIPORT, the company that manages the Liberia airport, and the Polish tour operator Rainbow. The deal allows charter flights between the two countries aboard a Boeing 787-8 aircraft with a capacity of 250 passengers.

Additional details, including flight schedules and ticket prices, will be published soon on the airline’s official website.

Founded in 1990, Rainbow is one of Poland’s leading tour operators. The company is a member of the Polish Chamber of Tourism and a founding member of the Polish Association of Tour Operators.

According to ICT data, nearly 9,000 Polish tourists visited Costa Rica in 2025.

Several airlines currently offer service between Costa Rica and Poland with one or more layovers, including Iberia, SWISS, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and American Airlines.

LOT Polish Airlines is among many international carriers expanding service to Costa Rica. Southwest Airlines announced last week that it will launch its first nonstop flight between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Costa Rica.

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.

----------------
Which airline do you think should add more flights to Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com