Guanacaste International Airport announces closure until November 21 following a chaotic weekend of intermittent operations.
Costa Rica’s Guanacaste International Airport will remain closed until Thursday morning following a chaotic weekend of intermittent closures that affected 97 international flights. The Civil Aviation Authority ordered the extended shutdown just hours after Sunday’s attempted reopening, citing runway safety concerns.
The airport, which initially reopened Sunday morning following a 48-hour closure, was forced to suspend operations again by 4:00 PM due to heavy rainfall and asphalt deterioration on the runway. The latest closure will continue until 6:00 AM Thursday, November 21.
“Recent cancellations prevent us from providing the quality service our commercial partners and passengers are accustomed to,” airport management said in a statement, urging travelers to contact their airlines for rebooking and not to come to the terminal.
Tourist Industry Responds
After yesterday afternoon’s new closure of the airport, the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) expressed outrage over the operational chaos. “The lack of foresight and coordination is unacceptable. Tourists are stranded unable to enter or leave the country as planned, and airlines face logistical chaos,” said Martí Jiménez, the chamber’s president.
The repeated closures have significantly impacted Costa Rica’s tourism sector, with Sunday’s final shutdown affecting 11 international flights. Some were diverted to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, while others were cancelled entirely.
“We demand that the government provide certainty in the reopening of the airport, but also a clear action plan that includes specific deadlines and guarantees to avoid further improvisations. This lack of seriousness compromises our competitiveness as a destination and undermines the confidence of those who choose Costa Rica as their vacation destination,” continued Jiménez in his statement.
The extended closure marks another setback for regional air travel, coming as Belize’s Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport reopens following its shutdown during Tropical Storm Sara’s passage through Central America.
