British Airways to operate direct flight between London and Costa Rica

British Airways has announced that it will offer direct flights to San Jose, Costa Rica from London Gatwick airport from May 2016. Costa Rica is becoming an increasing popular holiday destination for Britons thanks to its combination of rainforests, volcanoes, beaches and its biodiversity all of which have served to boosted its profile as a top eco-friendly holiday destination.

From May 2016 British Airways will operate direct flights between London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and San Jose International (SJO), Costa Rica.

During the summer months the flights will operate twice weekly and for those holidaymakers craving a sunny winter break, British Airways will increase the frequency to three times per week.

Colm Lacy, British Airways' Head of Commercial - Gatwick stated the following of his firm's decision to add the route:

"Adding Costa Rica to our wide range of flights from Gatwick boosts our network and gives customers an even greater choice of diverse destinations. We're very excited to have the opportunity to fly nonstop between London and San Jose and we're sure this route will prove very popular with those looking for a holiday that's definitely out of the ordinary."

Indeed Costa Rica has proven to be an increasingly popular holiday destination among Britons and is considered to be one of the top destinations for travellers keen on eco-friendly holidays. Costa Rica's rainforests boast of a wide array of wildlife and along with its volcanic peaks they make for a truly rewarding hiking adventure.

The Costa Rican beaches are also key attractions and with as many as 300 different beaches there is something for everyone. From surfers to swimmers there is the perfect beach with both rocky beaches and sandy beaches ranging from white to black sand.

The Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura noted that over the past year the number of arrivals to Costa Rica from the UK increased by 12.9 per cent and with the average stay lasting up to two weeks, UK holidaymakers are making a valuable contribution to the Costa Rican tourism industry and the wider economy.

Notably, British Airways is not the only UK based airline to acknowledge Costa Rica's potential as Thomson Airways also announced that they would offer direct flights to Costa Rica as early as November 2015.

Director of Product for Thomson and First Choice, Mark Hall stated:

"We're thrilled to be launching Costa Rica as a new destination for holidaymakers and it is fantastic to be offering the only direct flight from the UK on our Dreamliner. It's an amazing country, with some really experiential excursions as well as great hotels."