Costa Rica welcomes the first-ever direct flight from Brazil as GOL Airlines launches a new São Paulo-San José route between the two countries.
Costa Rica marked a historic milestone in regional aviation this week as Brazilian carrier GOL Airlines launched the first-ever direct flight between São Paulo and San José, highlighting Central America’s growing international air connectivity.
The inaugural flight, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, departed from São Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport (GRU) on Tuesday afternoon and arrived at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José later that evening. Upon arrival, Costa Rica welcomed GOL the flight with a small ceremony where Tourism Minister William Rodriguez said, “This marks a historic milestone for Costa Rica, finally establishing a direct connection to Brazil.”
The route is expected to boost tourism from South America’s largest country. Recent data shows that out of the approximately 93,000 travelers arriving into Costa Rica by air in September (traditionally one of Costa Rica’s least busy months), some 14,000 of them were Brazilian. Up until now, most Brazilians would have to reach Costa Rica via Colombia, Panama, Mexico, or the United States.
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Central America’s Aviation Growth Surge
This new connection from Brazil comes as Central America experiences substantial growth in international air connectivity. So far in 2024, El Salvador has reported a 24% increase in international seat capacity, while Nicaragua has expanded its international routes by almost 19%. Meanwhile, Costa Rica continues to strengthen its global connections with a 15.2% rise in available seats on direct international flights to its two international airports.
GOL, Brazil’s leading airline, has been instrumental in democratizing air travel in Latin America since its founding in 2001, maintaining the region’s lowest costs. The airline maintains strategic alliances with American Airlines and Air France-KLM, offering extensive codeshare and interline agreements, and now serves 13 international destinations across the Americas.
Building Stronger Regional Connections
Rafael Araújo, GOL’s Air Planning Director, emphasized the airline’s vision: “The addition of Costa Rica to our air network fills us with pride and reiterates the company’s focus on continued international expansion. San José remains exclusive, operated with direct flights from Brazil only by GOL. Our goal is to bring our people ever closer and contribute to the development of tourism and business throughout the region.”
The new São Paulo-San José route will operate three times a week, with departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Flights depart São Paulo at 1:55 PM, arriving in San José at 6:25 PM, with return flights departing at 8:40 PM and arriving in São Paulo at 7:15 AM the following day.
