Southwest Airlines will fly daily from Los Angeles to Costa Rica starting next April, the airlines’ first international service out of LAX, the airport announced.
The daily flight to Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in a tourism hub on Costa Roca’s west coast, at the city of Liberia/Guanacaste.
The airline, based in Texas, trumpeted its link to “Costa Rica’s growing resort and eco-tourism region.”
The new nonstop service is subject to government approval, the airline said.
Southwest is in the midst of a $505 million makeover and takeover of LAX Terminal 1, where new entryways, security checkpoints and traveler amenities are being installed.
But the Costa Rica flights will depart and arrive next door, at Terminal 2, which has U.S. Customs facilities. Terminal 2 also is getting a major overhaul.
Southwest first landed in California in 1982 and operates more daily departures in California than any other state. It has 18 different city-pairs within the state, and 143 Southwest flights take off daily in California heading to California airports.