SJO Readies for Expansion

The Costa Rican government is expanding its SJO Airport, at a cost of $18 million. As part of the expansion program, the authorities will build two more boarding gates to help the airport accommodate an additional 260,000 passengers annually.

According to The Costa Rican News, there are also plans to build several contact bridges and space for duty-free shops. The work is likely to be completed in one year’s time.
Located near the city of Alajuela, 12 miles west of downtown San Jose, it is named after Costa Rica’s national hero, Juan Santamaría.
The airport was once the busiest airport in Central America, but currently it is ranked second after PTY. In 2010, the airport received 4.3 million passengers, most of them from international flights. In 2011, the airport was named the 3rd Best Airport in Latin America and the Caribbean from the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International.