Avianca continues to increase its presence in Costa Rica and added new routes connecting San José with some of the main markets in the United States and Mexico.
On December 1, the company launched flights from Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) to Mexico City (MEX), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), and on December 3 it began flying to Cancun (CUN).
«Today the offer of flights to and from San Jose is more comprehensive and the goal is to continue expanding it. We offer our customers the possibility to purchase and travel with us on 8 direct routes, with competitive prices, with the option to customize trips according to the needs of each customer, and with the service that has been our hallmark. This is a very important bet to strengthen tourism, business, and connectivity of Costa Rica with the continent; we trust in the response that the customer has been giving us to fill these flights» said Reyna Mejia, General Manager for Central America in Avianca.
For his part, Gustavo Alvarado, Minister of Tourism, said, «It is very encouraging to see Avianca resuming flights and direct connections with Mexico City and Cancun, as well as Los Angeles and New York in the United States, as this contributes to the increase of tourism on both routes and is expected to help enhance visits to Costa Rica».
During 2019 Avianca transported 779,771 passengers and almost 3,800 tons of cargo with a 12.02% and 15.23% share in each segment.
In that year, 3,093,444 passengers and 50,340 tons of cargo had been mobilized between Costa Rica and the United States, while 474,695 passengers and 1,643 tons of cargo were mobilized between the Central American country and Mexico.
Flight itineraries from San José (SJO)
Mexico City (MEX)
AV632 SJO 12:30 – MEX 15:25 – daily flight operated by Airbus A319 with 120 seats.
AV633 MEX 12:55 – SJO 15:45 – daily flight operated in 120-seat Airbus A319.
In 2019 on this route, 397,244 passengers and 16,438 tons of cargo were mobilized between Aeromexico, Interjet, and Volaris.
Los Angeles (LAX)
AV604 SJO 16:35 – LAX 20:55 – daily flight operated by Airbus A319 with 120 seats.
AV605 LAX 22:00 – SJO 06:00+1 – daily flight operated on 120-seat Airbus A319.
In 2019 on this route, 117,300 passengers and nearly 365 tons of cargo were mobilized between Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines.
New York (JFK)
AV660 SJO 17:10 – JFK 23:10 – daily flight operated on 120-seat Airbus A319.
AV661 JFK 01:20 – SJO 05:45 – daily flight operated on 120-seat Airbus A319.
In 2020 this route handled 28,175 passengers and almost 6.6 tons of cargo. The only operator was American Airlines.
Cancun (CUN)
AV650 SJO 07:55 – CUN 11:25 – three weekly flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday operated by 120-seat Airbus A319.
AV651 CUN 12:50 – SJO 14:25 – three weekly flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday operated in Airbus A319 with 120 seats.
In 2019 on this route 69,950 passengers were mobilized, between Volaris and Viva Aerobus.
«We are at the beginning of the high season and these four Avianca routes will further strengthen the array of options for travelers eager to get around this time of year. In addition, these routes provide connections from two of the most important markets in the United States in order to continue contributing to the national economy,» said Ricardo Hernandez, General Director of AERIS.
Avianca also offers flights from Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) to Miami (MIA), Bogotá (BOG), Lima (LIM), Guatemala City (GUA) and San Salvador (SAL).
See also: Avianca to fly 11 new routes starting in December
«We have been working to offer our customers more seats, more destinations, more routes, and increasingly competitive and affordable prices for everyone,» added Mejía.
Passenger and cargo figures were obtained through the Costa Rican Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC).
