Costa Rican airspace faced a significant disruption on Wednesday when an electrical failure crippled radar systems, halting all flights for several hours.
The outage, which began before dawn, affected both Juan Santamaría International Airport near San José and Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport in Guanacaste.
The Civil Aviation authority reported that technicians worked swiftly to address the issue, restoring operations just before 11 a.m. local time.
The incident impacted thousands of passengers and disrupted the country’s role as a regional aviation hub.
The radar failure led to significant operational challenges, with Aeris, the operator of Juan Santamaría Airport, reporting that 44 commercial flights, 65 domestic flights, and eight cargo flights were affected.
A total of 4,580 passengers faced delays or cancellations.
Shirley Calvo, executive director of the National Chamber of Tourism, highlighted the broader implications, noting that the incident could harm Costa Rica’s reputation as a reliable tourism destination.
The country’s tourism sector, a key economic driver, faced potential financial losses in the thousands of dollars due to the disruption.
In response to the outage, Transportation Minister Efraím Zeledón ordered an internal investigation to determine the cause and prevent future occurrences.
Airport authorities and airlines communicated updates via social media, advising passengers to reschedule flights.
By late morning, both major airports confirmed the resumption of normal operations.
The incident underscored the importance of robust infrastructure for Costa Rica, which relies heavily on tourism and connectivity to maintain its status as a key Latin American travel hub.