Porter Airlines Sets Course for Costa Rica in Guanacaste Airport
Porter Airlines will connect Guanacaste with Toronto and Ottawa starting in December, marking the first direct flight from Ottawa to Costa Rica.
Canadian carrier Porter Airlines will begin direct service to Guanacaste Airport starting December 4, marking its first venture into Central America. The new routes are part of the airline’s broader effort to expand into growing tourism markets.
Flights will operate from Toronto and Ottawa through March 2026. The Toronto–Guanacaste route will run three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays), while Ottawa–Guanacaste flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting December 13.
The airline will use Embraer E195-E2 aircraft configured with 132 seats and no middle seats, aiming to offer a more comfortable travel experience.
This marks the first-ever direct connection between Costa Rica and Ottawa, representing a milestone in air connectivity with Canada. According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), 257,395 Canadian tourists arrived by air in 2024, with 147,743 more visiting between January and May 2025.
By July, Guanacaste Airport will be connected to 16 destinations in the United States and Canada: Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte-Douglas, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Newark, Houston-Hobby, Houston-Intercontinental, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago-O'Hare, San Francisco, Montreal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Toronto. American Airlines, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, Air Transat, United Airlines, WestJet, and Southwest Airlines will operate around 130 weekly flights in each direction, representing over 160,000 seats per month, according to data compiled by Aviacionline via Cirium.
“The arrival of Porter Airlines to Guanacaste is the result of continuous work to strengthen ties between Costa Rica and Canada” said Tourism Minister William Rodríguez, emphasizing the growing interest in the country among Canadian travelers.
Andrew Pierce, Porter’s Vice President of Network Planning, added that “the interest of Canadian travelers in Costa Rica is growing steadily, and now passengers can enjoy Porter’s award-winning hospitality across all aspects of the flight experience.”
From the airport’s perspective, César Jaramillo, General Manager of Guanacaste Airport, called the launch a milestone. “Canada is a strategic and most dynamic market for Guanacaste Airport,” he said, noting a 2.6% increase in Canadian arrivals in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024.
Guanacaste Airport is operated by CORIPORT and part of the VINCI Airports network. According to the concessionaire, the airport holds multiple ISO certifications and is recognized as a carbon-neutral terminal. It has also received the ASQ Customer Experience award for Latin America and the Caribbean for six consecutive years.
Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline. Base: ROS Origen: RES
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