Only two companies offer flights to different locations within Costa Rica - Nature Air and Sansa - offering customers up to 175 flights daily during the high season, which ends in May.
Natura Air, based at the Tobias Bolaños international airport in Pavas, offers 80 flights daily, while Sansa, the regional arm of TACA airlines, offers 95 flight daily out of the "domestic terminal" at the Juan Santamaría (San José) international airport.
During the low season (May to November), the two airlines offer 160 flights daily.
The arilines are responding to an increased demand by tourists and national alike who prefer to take the short flights rather than the hours of driving.
During 2007, the two airlines report carrying 325.000 passengers, making the business of national flights fully profitable.
According to Lisette Acosta, marketing manager for Nature Air, 70% of the customers are foreigners.
Nature Air offers14 destinations, while Sansa offers 16. Some of the destinations in highest demand are Puerto Jiménez in the Southern zone and Quepos in the Central Pacific. The destinations of Liberia and Tamarindo are the most in demand for Guancaste bound travellers.
The cost of flying to and from San José is not cheap. For example, a return trip to Tamarindo from San José costs us$209 on Sansa and us$177 on Nature Air. Customers rationalize the cost that the less than an hour flight is a lot better than a five hour car or bus ride.
The rate is based on operational costs and the demand for each destination and the high and low season.
For example, the current rate on the airlines website for Puerto Jiménez is us$193 on Nature Air and us$206 on Sansa. During the low season, both airlines offer flights at less than half that at us$79.
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