Costa Rica’s main airport opened a new international arrivals area today, giving passengers arriving at Juan Santamaría International Airport a larger and more organized entry point as the country heads into the busy summer travel season.The new 3,800-square-meter space began operating this morning at the airport in Alajuela.
It is part of a $62 million expansion of the international terminal’s western side, a project designed to relieve crowding and improve the flow of arriving passengers through baggage inspection, customs, transportation services and the public arrivals area.
For travelers flying into San José, the change should be noticeable soon after they collect their luggage. The expanded area includes more space for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Customs inspections, along with new areas for rental car companies, a business center and a larger meeting plaza for families, drivers and tour operators.
The opening comes as Juan Santamaría continues to handle record passenger numbers. The airport recorded 6,403,220 passengers in 2025, its highest annual total, and moved more than 3.2 million international passengers during the 2025-2026 high season, which ran from November through early April.
The pressure has been easy to see for anyone arriving during peak hours. Long lines at immigration, crowded baggage areas and a tight public exit zone have been among the most common complaints from visitors landing in Costa Rica, especially during weekends, holidays and heavy North American flight banks.
The new arrivals area is meant to address part of that problem by giving passengers and airport agencies more room to operate. Airport officials also reorganized the exit flow, with passengers now leaving through the new area rather than the older, narrower arrivals corridor. The space includes a covered waiting area with benches and designated zones for people being met by relatives, private transportation, hotels or tour operators.
The project is not finished. The arrivals area is one piece of a broader terminal expansion that will eventually add more than 10,000 square meters to the airport. Other parts of the western-side project include additional levels where new baggage systems and airline counters are planned.
The airport expansion is part of the Juan Santamaría master plan, which includes additional infrastructure work to keep up with growing air traffic. Earlier this year, AERIS said its active airport projects represented about $115.5 million in investment, including the western terminal expansion, a remote platform extension, public parking expansion, service-road work and a future domestic terminal expansion.
For those with flights booked through the San Jose airport this summer, the arrivals should feel less cramped, especially after baggage claim and customs. The new space does not eliminate immigration processing or peak-hour delays, but it gives the airport more room to move passengers out of the terminal and into transportation areas.
Juan Santamaría remains our country’s main international gateway, serving San José, the Central Valley, the Pacific coast, La Fortuna, Monteverde and many of the country’s most visited destinations. As more airlines add routes and visitor numbers continue to climb, the airport has been under pressure to modernize quickly.
The opening of the new arrivals area gives Costa Rica a visible infrastructure upgrade at a key moment. For many, it will be the first part of our country they see. For returning residents and frequent travelers, it may be one of the most practical changes at SJO in years.
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