Local Airlines Now Up To
175 Flights Daily
Only two companies offer
flights to different
locations within Costa
Rica - Nature Air and
Sansa - offering
customers up to 175
flights daily during the
high season, which ends
in May.
Natura Air, based at the
Tobias Bolaños
international airport in
Pavas, offers 80 flights
daily, while Sansa, the
regional arm of TACA
airlines, offers 95
flight daily out of the
"domestic terminal" at
the Juan Santamaría (San
José) international
airport.
During the low season
(May to November), the
two airlines offer 160
flights daily.
The arilines are
responding to an
increased demand by
tourists and national
alike who prefer to take
the short flights rather
than the hours of
driving.
During 2007, the two
airlines report carrying
325.000 passengers,
making the business of
national flights fully
profitable.
According to Lisette
Acosta, marketing
manager for Nature Air,
70% of the customers are
foreigners.
Nature Air offers14
destinations, while
Sansa offers 16. Some of
the destinations in
highest demand are
Puerto Jiménez in the
Southern zone and Quepos
in the Central Pacific.
The destinations of
Liberia and Tamarindo
are the most in demand
for Guancaste bound
travellers.
The cost of flying to
and from San José is not
cheap. For example, a
return trip to Tamarindo
from San José costs
us$209 on Sansa and
us$177 on Nature Air.
Customers rationalize
the cost that the less
than an hour flight is a
lot better than a five
hour car or bus ride.
The rate is based on
operational costs and
the demand for each
destination and the high
and low season.
For example, the current
rate on the airlines
website for Puerto
Jiménez is us$193 on
Nature Air and us$206 on
Sansa. During the low
season, both airlines
offer flights at less
than half that at us$79.
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