With the Right Framework, Costa Rica Could Double Passenger Numbers and Become a Regional Leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuels

This Tuesday took place in San José the Aviation Day Costa Rica, an event organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that brought together over 300 of the main stakeholders from the commercial aviation and tourism industry in the country and the region.

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During the opening, Peter Cerdá, vice president of IATA for the Americas, revealed that the organization anticipates that Costa Rica will more than double the passenger volume by the year 2030, going from the current four million annually to between 10 and 12 million.

To address this projected increase, it will be crucial for Costa Rican authorities to collaborate closely with the air transport sector. «The government of Costa Rica has created a positive environment for aviation,» commented Cerdá, highlighting the importance of continuing collaboration to facilitate accessibility to air transport, thus boosting tourism, trade, and competitiveness in the country.

Air transport plays a significant role in the economy of Costa Rica, being the main driver of tourism, as 90% of tourists arrive in the country by air. According to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council, the travel and tourism sector contributed 10.8% to Costa Rica’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019 and generated 11% of all jobs. In the first quarter of 2023, nearly 160,000 direct jobs were created in the sector.

Costa Rica has been showing signs of robust recovery, with a 15.5% increase in the number of passengers in June 2023 compared to the same month the previous year, and has introduced new air routes from several cities. Cerdá also pointed out that the average Costa Rican makes 1.3 trips per year, a figure that exceeds the regional average (of 0.45), although he suggested that there is room to grow and reach the per capita travel rates observed in other regions.

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At the event, a memorandum of understanding was signed between IATA and the government of Costa Rica, represented by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, to incorporate IATA’s best safety practices into the state’s air safety program. With this, Costa Rica becomes the first Central American country to integrate these standards into its regulatory framework, which will reinforce its operational safety.

Furthermore, during the day, a call was made to strengthen efforts to reduce the environmental impact of aviation. Cerdá urged the government of Costa Rica to support and accelerate decarbonization initiatives in the sector, emphasizing the need for public policies and incentives for the production and distribution of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), a key strategy to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The executive concluded that, considering that Costa Rica is a global example in environmental protection and is the only country in Central America that operates with 100% renewable electricity, it has the potential to assume a leadership role in the production of SAF, fostering a sustainable future for the aviation industry, while allowing an expansion of tourism in an environmentally respectful manner.

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Cover photo via AeroLatinNews – IATA