British Airways confirmed this morning the permanence of its direct flight to Costa Rica throughout the entire year of 2027. According to the British airline, frequencies will increase and be scheduled 5 times per week starting in October 2026 through March 2027, and 3 times per week from April to September 2027.
Consequently, the route will cease to operate seasonally and will become part of the airline’s regular schedule.
Adding to this historic announcement—which will significantly increase connectivity and seating to Europe—is British Airways’ decision to transfer the route from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow Airport, considered its main hub in London.
Specifically, the airport change will facilitate access to more than 130 destinations to which the airline offers direct flights and will also improve air cargo transport capacity to and from all of Europe. This increase in connectivity with the United Kingdom and the European continent is the result of over a year of extensive negotiations between the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) and AERIS with the airline.
“After having concluded our negotiations with British Airways to increase frequencies and move the flight to Heathrow Airport, we successfully finalized the final part of the negotiation, which precisely consisted of making the flight from the UK year-round. This announcement will represent a significant increase in seats and frequencies from London,” highlighted Marcos V. Borges, executive president of the ICT.
“The year-round presence of British Airways is the result of collaborative work between AERIS, the Costa Rican Tourism Board, and the airline to continue strengthening Costa Rica’s connectivity with strategic markets. This expansion allows us to consolidate direct connection with the United Kingdom and strengthen connectivity opportunities with Europe. From AERIS, we will continue working jointly to expand travel options from Juan Santamaría International Airport and contribute, through greater air connectivity, to the growth and strengthening of tourism in Costa Rica,” stated Ricardo Hernández, executive director of AERIS.
British Airways detailed that this nonstop connection will depart during the winter schedule from London at 11:10 a.m., arriving in our country at 4:40 p.m., departing again at 6:40 p.m., and landing the next day at Heathrow at 10:50 a.m.
The aircraft selected to fly year-round—starting in October 2026—will be a 787-800. The aforementioned plane features 204 available seats distributed across 31 Club section (Business Class) spaces, 37 World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy Class) seats, and 136 World Traveller category (Economy Class) seats.
Strengthening the United Kingdom Market
Additionally, the ICT celebrates this achievement due to the strategic timing of its occurrence, just a few weeks before the start of World Travel Market 2026 (WTM), considered one of the largest tourism trade fairs and negotiation bourses in the world.
“Without a doubt, the companies participating in this event will enthusiastically receive this news, which opens countless possibilities for negotiations and sales toward our country with the confirmation of the annual permanence of British Airways’ flight from London,” concluded Borges, the tourism head.
According to the most recent ICT data, the United Kingdom ranks as the third-largest source market for tourists from Europe. Between January and August, the entry of 47,753 British tourists via air was registered.
Likewise, Europe registered an 8.8% growth compared to the same period of the previous year, with a total of 319,552 travelers originating from Europe.
Based on market research and the creation of the ICT’s most recent traveler profiles, the British tourist enjoys engaging in outdoor activities such as visiting beaches, bird watching, visiting volcanoes, walking trails amid nature, and exploring local gastronomy.
More information on the airline’s official website: www.britishairways.com
Press contact: Luis Jara Cubillo. [email protected]. Telephone: 83414521
