New flights to Central America

By the Caribbean Journal staff

British Airways is adding flights to Costa Rica.

The carrier announced plans to launch nonstop flights between London Gatwick and San Jose, Costa Rica beginning May 4, 2016.

The flights will initially operate twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday), rising to three times a week in the winter (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).

British Airways will be operating the flights on Boeing 777 aircraft.

“With everything from its incredible wildlife, rugged rainforests and volcanic peaks, as well as stunning beaches and – of course – world-famous coffee – Costa Rica offers an incredible array of places to visit and experience,” said Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial Gatwick. “Adding Costa Rica to our wide range of flights from Gatwick boosts our network and gives customers an even greater choice of diverse destinations. We’re very excited to have the opportunity to fly nonstop between London and San Jose and we’re sure this route will prove very popular with those looking for a holiday that’s definitely out of the ordinary.”

In a statement, Costa Rica Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura said the new service “demonstrates the success of our strategy to attract premium airlines to our country.”

Costa Rica has seen a 12.9 percent increase in tourists from the UK in the last year, averaging two weeks per visit, he said.