Costa Rica Airport San Jose-Which is the main airport in San Jose, CR?

San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica (a country in Central America) and is also the largest city in the country. The city features theaters, auditoriums, museums, parks, plazas, zoos, and other landmarks.

Tourism is one of the major sources of economy for San Jose. The city is a significant choice for domestic, and international visitors. If you are planning to visit this beautiful city, you can choose to land at the international airports in San Jose.

Explore major Costa Rica Airport San Jose

Talking about the airports in San Jose, there are two major international airports namely Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), and Tobias Bolanos International Airport (SYQ). Besides, there are other domestic, regional, and public-use airports.

With this short introduction, let’s explore airports in San Jose, Costa Rica with various important details.

Is San Jose the only airport in Costa Rica? (Cosa Rica Airport San Jose)

As we discussed above, there are two main international airports in San Jose, Costa Rica which are Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), and Tobias Bolanos Int’l Airport (SYQ).

Among these two airports, SJO is the major international airport in the city that facilities domestic, and international flights operated by various commercial airlines. SYQ Airport is only served by a small airline that connects to a limited number of domestic destinations.

Now, let’s discover the two international airports in detail.

Juan Santamaria International Airport (ICAO: MROC, IATA: SJO)

Juan Santamaria Int’l Airport (SJO) is the primary airport serving San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. The airport is owned by the Government of Costa Rica, and operated by Aeris Holdings Costa Rica. It is located in Alajuela Province at an elevation of 921 m (3,022 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL).

SJO Airport is the main hub for airlines including Avianca Costa Rica, Costa Rica Green Airways, Sansa Airlines, and Volaris Costa Rica. Besides, it is also a focus city for Avianca El Salvador, and Copa Airlines.

Various national, and foreign carriers operate regular commercial passenger, and cargo flights to and from SJO Airport connecting domestic, and international destinations.

Terminal Facilities at SJO Airport

Juan Santamaria Airport is equipped with an integrated passenger terminal that features the Main Terminal, and a Domestic Terminal. The Main Terminal is allocated for all international flights to and from SJO whereas the Domestic Terminal handles domestic flights only.

Free-Wifi, Baggage Services, Duty-Free Shops, Toilets, ATMs, Banking Services, Restaurant & Food Courts, Currency Exchange, Medical Services, Tourist Information Desk, Car Rental Services, and Public Telephones are the key facilities available at the SJO Terminals.

SJO Runway Information

SJO Airport features a single asphalt runway with the designation Rwy 07/25. The overall length of the runway is 3,012 m (9,882 ft) which is able to handle large wide-body aircraft including Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 747, Airbus A350, Airbus A340, A330, and so on.

Airlines Operating at SJO Airport

There are various domestic, and international airlines operating regular passenger, and cargo flights to and from Juan Airport in San Jose. The list of airlines with destinations is presented in the table below.

OPERATING AIRLINES	DESTINATIONS
AeroMexico	Mexico City
Air Canada	Montreal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air France	Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Alaska Airlines	Los Angeles
American Airlines	Dallas/Fort Worth, MiamiSeasonal Flights to Charlotte, and Chicago–O’Hare
Avianca Costa Rica	Bogota, Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Cancun, Cartagena, Lima, Guatemala City, Medellin–JMC, Mexico City, New York–JFK, Quito, Washington–Dulles, and San Salvador
British Airways	Seasonal Flights to London–Gatwick
Copa Airlines	Panama City–Tocumen, and Guatemala City
Costa Rica Green Airways	Quepos, and Tambor
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, and Los Angeles
Edelweiss Air	Zurich
Frontier Airlines	Orlando, and Atlanta
Iberia	Madrid
Iberojet	Madrid
JetBlue	Orlando, New York–JFK, and Fort LauderdaleSeasonal Flights to Los Angeles
KLM	Seasonal Flights to Amsterdam
LATAM	Lima
Lufthansa	Frankfurt
Sansa Airlines	Costa Esmeralda, Coto 47, Drake Bay, Golfito, La Fortuna/San Carlos, Liberia (CR), Limón, Nosara Beach, Palmar Sur, Pérez Zeledón, Puerto Jiménez, Quepos, Tamarindo, Tambor, Tortuguero
Southwest Airlines	Baltimore, and Houston–HobbySeasonal Flights to Denver
Spirit Airlines	Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami
United Airlines	Newark (EWR), Los Angeles, and Houston–IntercontinentalSeasonal Flights to Chicago–O’Hare, Denver, and Washington–Dulles
Volaris	Cancun
Wingo	Bogota, and Panama City–Tocument

Parking Facility at SJO Airport

There are various on-site parking spaces available at Juan Santamaria Airport with 24-hour parking service. As declared by the airport authority, there are approximately 400 vehicles on 2 levels.

The upper-level parking section (no roof) is recommended for departing passengers while the lower-level section (under the roof) is appropriate for arriving passengers.

Visitors, and passengers can park their vehicles at the parking area located next to the terminal building. All parking facilities including surveillance cameras, elevator, escalators, and ramps are available.

Parking Cost

PARKING TIME	RATE
Per Hour	US $2.48
Per Day	US $35.00
Per Week	US $200.00

Now, let’s discover another international airport in San Jose, Costa Rica which is Tobias Bolanos Int’l (SYQ).

Tobias Bolanos International Airport (ICAO: MRPV, IATA: SYQ)

Tobias Bolanos (SYQ) is the second international airport in San Jose after Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO). The airport is named for Costa Rican pilot Tobias Bolanos Palma, and is operated by Direccion General de Aviacion Civil.

The airport is located in San Jose at an elevation of 3,287 ft (1,002 m) above mean sea level (AMSL). SYQ features a single asphalt runway with the designation Rwy 09/27 whose overall length is 1,620 m (5,315 ft).

Tobias Bolanos emphasizes general aviation services such as flight training, private flight operations, charter flights, and tourism. There are 8 flight schools offering various flight training programs at this airport.

Some domestic carriers including Aerobell Airlines operate flights to various domestic destinations including Drake Bay, La Fortuna, Puerto Jimenez, Quepos, Tamarindo, Tambor, Tortuguero, Golfito, Palmar Sur, Punta Islita, Nosara, and Liberia.

Restaurants near San Jose Airport Costa Rica

There are various top-quality restaurants located near Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose. Some famous restaurants with 4+ ratings on Google are listed in the table below.

RESTAURANTS	LOCATION
Breeze	200 Metros Oeste del Banco Nacional, La
Hacienda Kitchen	700 meters west from Bridgestone/Firestone La Ribera de
Restaurante Rasoi	In front of Intel La Rivera Heredia Belen La Ribera
El Novillo Alegre Alajuela	Mango Plaza, Radial Francisco J. Orlich
Denny’s Alajuela	Boulevard Aeropuerto
La Calle	Frente al bac San Jose
Zaikan Indian Cuisine	El Cafetal Commercial Center, C. Arbolito
Restaurant Chiwake	Alajuela Centro Calle 5
Taj Mahal Restaurant	2A, Plaza Real Alajuela
Hungry Grilled Subs	City Mall Alajuela

Hotels near San Jose Costa Rica Airport With Shuttle Service

There are lots of hotels near San Jose Costa Rica Airport that offer free airport shuttle service. Visitors, and passengers can stay at the nearby hotels.

Some popular San Jose Hotels with Free Airport Shuttle

HOTELS	LOCATION
Hampton by Hilton San Jose Airport	Hwy 1 Airport Blvd, Alajuela
Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Airport	Plaza Los Mangos, Radial Francisco J Orlich, Alajuela
Buena Vista Chic Hotel	San Isidro, Alajuela
La Riviera Hotel B & B	San Antonio de Belen, Heredia
Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas	Frente al Parque Morazan, San Jose
Barcelo San Jose	El Robledal – La Uruca, San Jose
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson	Ciudad Cariari, Heredia
Hotel Aeropuerto	4 km west of SJO, Alajuela
Hotel Brillasol Airport	4 km west of SJO, Alajuela
Wyndham San Jose Herradura Hotel	Ciudad Cariari, Heredia

Conclusion on Costa Rica Airport San Jose

As we come to the end of this blog, we discovered two major international airports in San Jose which are Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), and Tobias Bolanos International Airport (SYQ). Besides, we also explored the airport parking facility, nearby restaurants, and hotels.

Which is the main airport in Costa Rica San Jose?

SJO is the major international airport that facilitates flights to various domestic, and international destinations. More than 35 destinations are covered by 25+ airlines including national, and foreign carriers.

Tobias Airport (SYQ) primarily serves general aviation activities however, it also facilitates some domestic flights operated by domestic airlines. If you’re traveling to various destinations within Costa Rica, you can choose this airport.

FAQs on Costa Rica Airport San Jose