ATA calls for urgent runway maintenance at Guanacaste Airport as officials reveal closure affected 30,000 passengers and 167 international flights.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Costa Rica’s government to address ongoing runway issues at Guanacaste International Airport, as final figures reveal last week’s closure affected 167 international flights and approximately 30,000 passengers.
The airport faced a chaotic week of operations, initially closing Friday, November 15 due to runway deterioration exacerbated by heavy rainfall. A brief reopening on Sunday the 17th lasted only hours before authorities ordered an extended shutdown until last Wednesday, a day earlier than planned, following emergency repairs.
Airport officials report that 80% of affected travelers were headed to the United States, 15% to Canada, and 5% to European and other destinations. The disruption represented 25% of November’s projected passenger traffic and 1.5% of the airport’s annual 1.9 million passengers.
El cierre del #aeropuerto de Liberia por problemas de mantenimiento en la pista de aterrizaje significó pérdidas millonarias para el sector #turismo 👇 ✈️ 🫣 https://t.co/ZEOzceyucx
— La República (@La_Republica) November 26, 2024
International Response and Demands
IATA called on President Rodrigo Chaves’s administration to immediately reactivate the runway rehabilitation project and develop short, medium, and long-term maintenance plans. The organization criticized the airport’s handling of the situation, noting that “sudden closure and reopening decisions forced airlines to divert or cancel flights.”
“The industry has been expressing concerns about progressive runway deterioration for over a year,” IATA said in a statement. “Delayed maintenance work, combined with heavy rainfall, has left the industry unable to properly plan for operational impacts during peak season.”
Despite the disruption, airport General Manager César Jaramillo highlighted successful crisis management efforts. “We coordinated with hotels, ground transportation, airlines, civil aviation, and transit police to prevent passengers from being stranded at the terminal,” he said, noting that emergency accommodations prepared for 1,500 people were ultimately unnecessary due to efficient communication.
The incident has sparked renewed debate about infrastructure maintenance at one of Costa Rica’s key tourist gateways.
