Liberia airport (LIR), branded Guanacaste Airport, had a record 1.97 million passengers in 2025, and nearly all of its international flights are nonstops from the US and Canada. Most routes are winter seasonal: they start between October and December and run until March, April or May, which lines up with Costa Rica's dry season (December to April). A handful fly all year.
Schedules change every season. Dates and frequencies below are from airline and airport announcements and the airlines' filed schedules, checked September 24, 2026. Always confirm with the airline before you book.
Every nonstop route to Liberia, 2026–27
Frequency is flights per week. Where an airline hasn't published a winter count, we say "varies by season" rather than guess. Flight times are scheduled times on the way to Liberia; the flight home can differ by up to 30 minutes with the winds. Where a schedule is only filed so far, not announced, we say so.
From the United States
| Airline | From | Season | Frequency | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Los Angeles (LAX) | Year-round | 2–3 a week in early fall; about daily from November; up to twice daily in peak | ~5 h 35–5 h 50 |
| Alaska | San Francisco (SFO) | Nov 21, 2026 – May 8, 2027 | Weekly | ~6 h 15 |
| Alaska | Seattle (SEA) | Nov 21, 2026 – May 8, 2027 | Weekly | ~6 h 55 |
| American | Charlotte (CLT) | From Oct 10, 2026; filed into Sep 2027 | About weekly in fall; several a week in December; daily January–July 2027 | ~4 h 10–4 h 25 |
| American | Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | From Nov 21, 2026; filed into Aug 2027 | Daily Dec 17 – Jan 5 and Mar 4 – Apr 5; Saturdays at other times | ~5 h 15 |
| American | Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) | Year-round | 5 a week in fall; daily from November, with a second flight on many peak days | ~4 h |
| American | Miami (MIA) | Year-round | Daily in fall; twice daily from November; up to 3 a day over the holidays | ~3 h |
| American | New York (JFK) | Dec 17, 2026 – Apr 3, 2027 | Most days Dec 17 – Jan 3; Saturdays Feb 13 – Apr 3 | ~5 h 30 |
| American | Philadelphia (PHL) | Dec 5, 2026 – Apr 3, 2027 | Weekly | ~5 h 05 |
| Delta | Atlanta (ATL) | Year-round | Daily in fall; up to 3 a day mid-December to April | ~4 h |
| Delta | Boston (BOS) | Dec 17, 2026 – May 1, 2027 | Daily over the holidays; 1–2 a week after | ~5 h 55 |
| Delta | Detroit (DTW) | Dec 19, 2026 – Apr 10, 2027 | Weekly (Saturdays) | ~5 h 05–5 h 20 |
| Delta | Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) | Dec 19, 2026 – May 1, 2027 | Daily January–March | ~5 h 30 |
| Delta | New York (JFK) New | Dec 19, 2026 – Apr 10, 2027 | Weekly (Saturdays) | ~5 h 45 |
| JetBlue | Boston (BOS) | Oct 31, 2026 – Apr 24, 2027 | 1–4 a week; most over the holidays and in February | ~5 h 50–5 h 55 |
| JetBlue | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Year-round (since Dec 4, 2025) | 5 a week in fall; daily from November | ~3 h |
| JetBlue | New York (JFK) | From Oct 31, 2026; filed into Aug 2027 | 3–4 a week in November; daily from December | ~5 h 25 |
| Southwest | Baltimore/Washington (BWI) | From Nov 7, 2026 (filed to May 29, 2027) | Weekly; a few extra in March | ~4 h 50–4 h 55 |
| Southwest | Denver (DEN) | From Nov 21, 2026 (filed to May 29, 2027) | Weekly (Saturdays); a few extra Sundays in March–April | ~5 h |
| Southwest | Houston Hobby (HOU) | Year-round | Saturdays and Sundays in fall; daily from Nov 1, 2026 | ~3 h 25 |
| Southwest | Nashville (BNA) New | From Feb 13, 2027 (filed to Apr 3) | Weekly (Saturdays) | ~4 h 15–4 h 20 |
| Sun Country | Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) | Nov 14, 2026 – Apr 10, 2027 | 1–3 a week; most in March | ~5 h 30–5 h 40 |
| United | Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | From Sep 26, 2026; filed into Aug 2027 | Saturdays in fall and summer; almost daily mid-December to March | ~5 h 10 |
| United | Denver (DEN) | From Sep 26, 2026; filed into Aug 2027 | Saturdays in October; daily Oct 25, 2026 – April 2027; daily June–July 2027 | ~5 h 10 |
| United | Houston (IAH) | Year-round | Daily in fall; daily plus weekend extras in winter; up to 3 a day at peaks | ~3 h 35 |
| United | Los Angeles (LAX) | From Oct 31, 2026; filed into summer 2027 | Weekly (Saturdays); weekends from May 29, 2027 | ~5 h 35 |
| United | Newark (EWR) | From Sep 26, 2026; filed into Aug 2027 | Saturdays (plus a few days) in October; daily November–April | ~5 h 05–5 h 25 |
| United | San Francisco (SFO) | From Oct 31, 2026; filed into Aug 2027 | About weekly; about twice a week in April and summer | ~6 h 10–6 h 25 |
| United | Washington Dulles (IAD) New | Dec 17, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027 | Daily | ~4 h 55 |
From Canada
| Airline | From | Season | Frequency | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Montreal (YUL) | Oct 31, 2026 – Apr 29, 2027 | 3–4 a week | ~6 h–6 h 15 |
| Air Canada | Toronto (YYZ) | From Oct 17, 2026; 1–2 a week filed for summer 2027 | Daily late October to mid-April | ~5 h 30–5 h 40 |
| Air Canada | Vancouver (YVR) New | Dec 13, 2026 – Apr 12, 2027 | 2 a week (Mon, Thu), overnight | ~7 h 20 |
| Air Transat | Montreal (YUL) | Oct 11, 2026 – Apr 28, 2027 | Weekly in October; 3–4 a week December–March | ~6 h |
| Air Transat | Toronto (YYZ) | Oct 31, 2026 – Apr 28, 2027 | Weekly at first; 3 a week mid-December to early April | ~5 h 45 |
| Porter | Ottawa (YOW) | Nov 1, 2026 – Apr 26, 2027 | About 5 a week | ~5 h 50 |
| Porter | Toronto (YYZ) | Year-round | 2 a week in the low season; about daily late October to March | ~5 h 20–5 h 40 |
| WestJet | Calgary (YYC) | Year-round | Daily December–March; about weekly in summer | ~6 h 50–6 h 55 |
| WestJet | Montreal (YUL) | From Nov 2, 2026 (filed schedule only) | Weekly (Mondays) | ~5 h 55 |
| WestJet | Ottawa (YOW) New | Dec 20, 2026 – Apr 4, 2027 | Weekly (Sundays) | Not yet in the schedules |
| WestJet | Toronto (YYZ) | Year-round | 2–3 a week in early fall; about 10 a week November–March | ~5 h 20–5 h 45 |
| WestJet | Vancouver (YVR) | Nov 6, 2026 – Apr 23, 2027 | Weekly, overnight | ~7 h 15 |
| WestJet | Winnipeg (YWG) | Oct 31, 2026 – Apr 24, 2027 | 1–2 a week, overnight | ~6 h 20 |
Sunwing no longer flies as an airline: it merged into WestJet in May 2025, and Sunwing Vacations packages now fly on WestJet planes.
From Europe
| Airline | From | Season | Frequency | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edelweiss | Zurich (ZRH) | From Oct 26, 2026 (filed to Apr 28, 2027) | Weekly (Mondays); twice a week in April | About 15 h out, via San José; ~10 h 35 nonstop home |
Edelweiss is Liberia's only scheduled flight from Europe. On the current schedule it flies Zurich to San José, continues to Liberia on the same plane, and flies nonstop from Liberia back to Zurich. LOT Polish Airlines is also running tour-operator charters from Warsaw (October 2026) and Katowice (November to mid-December 2026), but those seats are sold through tour packages. There's no direct flight from the UK, Germany or the Netherlands to Liberia: British Airways, Condor and KLM all fly to San José instead.
Within Costa Rica (SANSA)
| Airline | Liberia to | Season | Frequency | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANSA | San José (SJO) | Scheduled service; check dates | About 19 a week in fall; up to 8 a day in season | ~50 min |
| SANSA | Nosara (NOB) | Scheduled service; check dates | Daily | ~30 min |
| SANSA | Cóbano (ACO), for Santa Teresa and Montezuma | Scheduled service; check dates | About 4 a week | ~30 min |
| SANSA | La Fortuna (FON) | Seasonal | Varies by season | ~30 min |
SANSA flies small planes, so check the baggage allowance before you pack. Costa Rica Green Airways doesn't run scheduled flights from Liberia but offers charters.
New for the 2026–27 season
- United from Washington Dulles: daily, December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027. It's Dulles's first-ever nonstop to Liberia, timed for the holidays.
- Delta from New York JFK: Saturdays, December 19, 2026 to April 10, 2027. Delta's first JFK–Liberia flights since January 2017.
- Air Canada from Vancouver: Mondays and Thursdays, December 13, 2026 to April 12, 2027. It's an overnight flight that lands at 7:35 a.m.
- WestJet from Ottawa: Sundays, December 20, 2026 to April 4, 2027, alongside Porter's Ottawa flights.
- Southwest from Nashville: Saturdays from February 13, 2027. It was announced for four Saturdays to March 6; the filed schedule now runs to April 3.
- Porter from Toronto now flies year-round: twice a week in the low season.
- LOT Polish charters from Warsaw and Katowice, October to December 2026.
- Edelweiss cuts Zurich to once a week (from twice) for most of the winter, going back to twice a week in April 2027. It's the only cut we found.
Which airline should I choose?
Usually the one that flies nonstop from your nearest airport. If you have a choice, the numbers below can help. Nobody publishes airline-by-airline on-time figures for Liberia itself, so these are each airline's results across its whole network.
On-time performance, 2025 (Cirium)
| Airline | Flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Delta | 80.9% | #1 in North America for the fifth year in a row |
| Alaska | 79.2% | #2 in North America |
| WestJet | 73.6% | #8 in North America |
| Air Canada | 73.3% | #9 in North America |
| Porter | 71.9% | |
| Air Transat | Not scored | Not enough data |
Cirium also tracks United, American, JetBlue, Southwest and Sun Country; check its annual report for their 2025 figures.
Skytrax World Airline Awards, 2026
| Airline | World rank (2025) | Notable awards |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | 17 (19) | Best Airline in North America, second year running |
| Delta | 25 (22) | Best Airline Staff in North America |
| Porter | 34 (44) | Best Regional Airline in North America |
| United | 45 (51) | |
| Alaska | 51 (57) | #2 Best Regional Airline in North America |
| JetBlue | 54 (52) | #3 Best Regional Airline in North America |
| Air Transat | 59 (62) | World's Best Leisure Airline, for the eighth time |
| American | 65 (83) | |
| Sun Country | 82 (91) | #2 Best Low-Cost Airline in North America |
| WestJet | 85 (75) | #5 Best Regional Airline in North America |
| Southwest | 89 (90) | #3 Best Low-Cost Airline in North America |
| Edelweiss | Not in the top 100 |
Putting the two together:
- US, for reliability: Delta and Alaska had North America's best on-time records in 2025.
- US, for choice of gateways: United flies from 7 hubs and American from 6.
- Canada: Air Canada is Skytrax's best in North America; Porter is its top regional airline, with no middle seats and a year-round Toronto flight; WestJet serves the most Canadian cities.
- Leisure and value: Air Transat (World's Best Leisure Airline) and Sun Country (#2 low-cost in North America).
- Europe: Edelweiss from Zurich is the only scheduled flight (via San José on the way out). Otherwise connect through the US or Canada, or fly into San José.
Tips for planning your arrival
- Most flights land around midday. Flights from the eastern and central US and eastern Canada mostly arrive late morning to mid-afternoon. The exceptions: overnight flights from western Canada (Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver) land around 7 to 8:30 a.m., and most flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle land in the late afternoon or evening.
- Expect lines on high-season weekends. Gate to curb usually takes 30 to 90 minutes, but on Saturdays and Sundays from December to April, when several flights land together in the early afternoon, allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
- Plan long drives around daylight. It's dark by about 6 p.m. all year. Nosara is 2 to 2.5 hours away, La Fortuna 3 to 3.5 hours and Santa Teresa 4.5 to 6 hours, on unlit roads, with rough final stretches into Nosara and Santa Teresa.
- Liberia or San José? If your trip is mostly Guanacaste, Liberia saves you hours of driving. Compare both in Liberia vs San José airport.
What I tell travelers: if your flight lands after about 2 p.m. and you're heading to Nosara, Santa Teresa or La Fortuna, don't try to race the sunset. Spend the first night near the airport or on the closer beaches around Coco or Papagayo, and drive on in the morning. For Nosara or Santa Teresa, SANSA's 30-minute hop from Liberia is another way to skip the long drive. — Vicente
For what happens after you land, from immigration to where drivers wait, read our Liberia airport arrival guide. For drive times to every beach and volcano, see Guanacaste drive times, and for your ride from the airport, see Liberia airport transportation.
Updated September 2026. Schedules change every season, so confirm dates and times with your airline.
Flights by city
Flying from one of Liberia's busiest gateways? Each guide covers the airlines, seasons and flight times from that city, plus what to expect after you land.
- Atlanta to Liberia: Delta, daily all year
- Chicago to Liberia: United and American
- Dallas/Fort Worth to Liberia: American, all year
- Denver to Liberia: United and Southwest
- Houston to Liberia: United from IAH and Southwest from Hobby, all year
- Los Angeles to Liberia: Alaska and United
- Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Liberia: American and JetBlue, all year
- Montreal to Liberia: Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet
- New York to Liberia: JetBlue, Delta and American from JFK, United from Newark
- Toronto to Liberia: WestJet, Porter, Air Canada and Air Transat
Landing at Liberia? Your driver will be waiting
- Your driver meets you as you walk out of Liberia arrivals, with a sign bearing your name.
- Safe, friendly, English-speaking drivers with the credentials for tourist transport, arranged by Anywhere Costa Rica (IATA and ASTA accredited).
- Modern, spacious, air-conditioned vans.
- Up to an hour of stops is included: groceries, cold drinks, photos or lunch on the way.
- 24/7 in-country support by phone, text and WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Which US cities have direct flights to Liberia, Costa Rica?
For the 2026–27 season: Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston (both IAH and Hobby), Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New York (JFK), Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington Dulles. Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami have nonstops all year. Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Newark and New York JFK (JetBlue) have flights filed for most of 2027 too, but with gaps in late summer and early fall; the rest fly in winter only.
Which airlines fly to Liberia airport (LIR)?
From the US: American, United, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska and Sun Country. From Canada: WestJet, Air Canada, Porter and Air Transat. From Europe: Edelweiss (Zurich). Within Costa Rica: SANSA.
Is there a direct flight from Europe to Liberia?
Only one scheduled flight: Edelweiss from Zurich, on Mondays from October 26, 2026, and twice a week in April 2027. On the current schedule the flight out stops in San José first and then continues to Liberia on the same plane; the flight home from Liberia is nonstop to Zurich. There is no direct flight from the UK; British Airways flies London to San José (SJO) instead. KLM stopped flying to Liberia in 2023. From elsewhere in Europe, connect through a US or Canadian hub, or fly into San José.
Are there direct flights from Canada to Liberia?
Yes, from six cities: Toronto (WestJet, Porter, Air Canada and Air Transat), Montreal (Air Canada, Air Transat and, from November 2, 2026, WestJet), Ottawa (Porter and, new this winter, WestJet), Vancouver (WestJet and, new this winter, Air Canada), Winnipeg and Calgary (WestJet). WestJet and Porter fly Toronto all year and WestJet flies Calgary all year; most of the others are winter-only.
How long is the flight to Liberia from Houston, Miami or New York?
On the way to Liberia: about 3 hours from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, 3.5 hours from Houston, 4 hours from Atlanta or Dallas, and 5 to 5.75 hours from New York (Newark or JFK). From the West Coast it's about 5.5 to 6 hours from Los Angeles and about 6.25 hours from San Francisco. The flight home can differ by up to 30 minutes with the winds.
Can you fly from Liberia to San José or other places in Costa Rica?
Yes. SANSA flies Liberia to San José in about 50 minutes, several times a day, and runs 30-minute hops to Nosara (daily), Cóbano for Santa Teresa and Montezuma (about 4 a week) and, in season, La Fortuna. Costa Rica Green Airways offers charter flights from Liberia.
What's the best day and time to land at Liberia?
If you can, avoid early afternoon on high-season Saturdays and Sundays (December to April), when several flights land together and immigration can take 1.5 to 2.5 hours. A midweek landing usually means shorter lines, and an earlier one leaves more daylight for the drive. It gets dark around 6 p.m. all year, which matters if you're driving to Nosara, Santa Teresa or La Fortuna.
Should I fly into Liberia or San José?
Fly into Liberia if you're staying in Guanacaste: most beach hotels are 30 minutes to 2 hours away, versus roughly 4 to 5.5 hours from San José. San José has more airlines and more flights from Europe. See Liberia vs San José airport for a full comparison.