Costa Rica’s airport revamp in limbo

The plan to expand and rebuild the runways at Costa Rica's Daniel Oduber airport remains in limbo, increasing the risk of flight cancellations. 

The deputy director of the civil aviation department, Luis Miranda, told lawmakers from the congressional infrastructure committee that there is no start date for the works. 

“We have no time schedule related to either Daniel Oduber airport or Limón international airport regarding the two types of improvements. Mentioning a starting date would not be responsible because there are still details to sort out,” Miranda was quoted as saying.

Located in Liberia city in Guanacaste province, Daniel Oduber Quirós international airport, also known as Liberia or Guanacaste airport, is the second largest in Costa Rica. Opened in 1975, its infrastructure has deteriorated due to rain and other environmental factors, obstructing the landing and takeoff operations at the airport.

According to Miranda, the lack of refurbishment works could cause flight cancellations in the long term. 

The entire refurbishment plan drafted in 2019 was meant to be worth more than US$100mn, but funds were not secured. Due to the urgent need for the works, the government later launched a smaller US$40mn emergency plan for the runways with funding from the Costa Rican tourism institute. It is expected to extend the lifespan of the runways by eight years and includes improvements to the sewerage system. 

Photo. Daniel Oduber international airport. (Source: Presidency of Costa Rica)