Airlines Expand Flights Directly to the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia

Author: Helen Dunn Frame

Delta Airlines and Jet Blue have announced additional direct flights to the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia (LIR)  Beginning in January 2012 Delta will add service from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  On November 17 JetBlue will add four weekly nonstop flights from New York’s JFK International Airport. These flights will cost under $300 and operate on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays.  

Some of the airlines that fly daily to Liberia from various cities are Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Northwest Airlines, Sky Service, Taca Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways.  Other airlines have charter service from Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta, Miami, Houston and New York (JFK), The two major domestic airlines, Nature Air  (www.natureair.com) and Sansa (www.flysansa.com), as well as several private charter companies provide service to Oduber.  Most domestic flights are on 19-passenger twin-turboprop aircraft.

The airport is located approximately 12 kilometers west of Liberia (10 minutes driving distance), 45 Km east of the Papagayo Peninsula, 80 KM northeast of the beach areas of Tamarindo, Conchal, and Flamingo, and 220 Km (136 miles) northwest of San José in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Arriving at Liberia International Airport is an excellent option for visiting places like  (insert read more)Tamarindo, Golfo de Papagayo, Flamingo, Playa Potrero, Playas del Coco, Playa Samara, and many other places of interest that are either in the Guanacaste Province or in the neighboring areas.

Expansion plans, scheduled to be completed in 2011, provide that the lower level of 18,000 square meters will house expanded immigration facilities, customs, and an area for arriving passengers, plus airline and airport administration offices. The second floor containing 5,000 square meters will have waiting rooms for passengers departing from Guanacaste, Costa Rica, four new gates, concessions, and offices for Costa Rican government officials. Existing services including emergency medical technicians, a refueling service, a fire brigade, bank services, telephones, Internet, and restaurants remain.

For travelers exiting Costa Rica by air a $28 departure tax is collected before check-in.  It can be paid with cash, MasterCard or Visa either at an international airport or in advance at a Banco Costa Rica (BCR).  In Guanacaste, Costa Rica a branch is located in the Colonial Plaza off the main boulevard in Playas del Coco.  Eventually it is expected that the fee may be paid online.
The $68 million expansion of the second major airport in Costa Rica became necessary due to the surge in tourism to Guanacaste, Costa Rica. A preliminary $2 million renovation which allowed the airport to receive 11 planes simultaneously, including four more Boeings 767's, had already been completed. Since then, many airlines have added direct flights to Liberia from popular gateways like Houston, Denver and London.

According to Adrian Clachar, a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Liberia Tourism, the expansion offers a window of opportunity for the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The expansion already has resulted in growth in Liberia, including the new hotel Posada de Calle Real, making it a tourist destination.  Old houses have found new uses in the downtown area. New hotels also have sprouted in nearby Playas del Coco as well.

Clachar, also associated with Coldwell Banker Coast to Coast Properties, along with a partner will open the concession Corteza del Mar upstairs near the waiting room.  It will offer travelers a last minute shopping opportunity with a choice of 200 arts and crafts made of wood, ceramic, Indian clay and leather with price points from $1 to $1000.  For more information call Adrian at 8996-0909 or email him at aclachar@me.com.

A landing strip has been in the location for at least 50 years, Clachar said. It serviced private planes and emergency landings. When it evolved into an international airport it was named after one of Costa Rica’s previous presidents, Daniel Oduber Quirós (1974-1978), who advocated expansion of Guanacaste tourism. His endeavors paid off with thousands of travelers able to reach their destinations on the beach within two hours or less. Previously, all international flights entered San Jose, a five to six hour drive depending on the time of day and traffic.

Coriport S.A., a Costa Rican company, administrates the airport and Houston Airport System Development Corporation (HASDC), a private Texas corporation formed solely to develop alternate revenue sources for the Houston Airport System, has ownership for 20 years.

For clients seeking a vacation or second home, possibly for retirement, or a hotel alternative to rent in the beach communities of the Northwest Pacific Province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica including Playas del Coco, Hermosa, Ocotal and Panama, contact Linda Gray, Owner/Broker Coldwell Banker Coast to Coast Properties.  She can be reached at (506) 2670-0805 (office), (506) 8347-4704(cell), toll free in North America at 1-877-589-0539 or by Email:  linda@coldwellbankercr.com .