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COSTA RICA |
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Airlines Cut Back The Number Of Flights To
Costa Rica
The effect of the global economic crisis is
evidenced in Costa Rica by the reduction of
the number of visitors, in turn forcing the
19 airlines that serve the country's largest
international airport to cut back on the
number of flights to and from Costa Rica.
The president of the Asociación de Líneas
Aéreas (ALA), Mario Zamora, said that in the
last eight months the airlines have
eliminated 1.184 flights from the Aeropuerto
Internacional Juan Santamaría, most coming
from US destinations.
A total of 20.665 flights arrived at the
Santamaría between January and August last
year, while only 19.841 or 6% less, the same
period for this year, according to the HASDC,
the managers of the airport.
The number of passengers passing through the
Santamaría in the eight month period was
slightly over 1.05 million, 117.000 or 10%
less than the same period last year.
Zamora explained that the elimination of the
number of flights is the airlines direct
response to the drop in travel.
For example, last year, American and
Continental each had four flight coming in
and taking off daily. Now the number of
daily flights by those airlines is down to
or three. Delta, who had up to three flights
daily, now is down to 2 and sometimes only
1.
Some travellers report that the planes are
full. However, that is due to the airlines
decision in many cases to uses smaller
aircraft, like the Embraer wich seats 90 and
is much more practical and economical than
to use a 150 seater and have it half full.
Allan Flores, ministro de Turimso (Tourism
minister) said that even though the number
of flights and arrivals have dropped, no
airline has ceased operations in Costa Rica.
"There is a market adjustment", said Flores.
The minister added that this is not a time
for the ICT (tourism ministry) to sit on its
hands, as it attempts to lure more airlines
and passengers to the country.
To that end, the ICT has spent this year
us$20 million dollars in promoting Costa
Rica to foreing markets, focusing on the US
market. Flores added that move has lessened
the impact on Costa Rica's tourism industry.
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