Porter Airlines Adds Direct Toronto-San José Flights

Getting to Costa Rica's stunning Pacific coast, cloud forests, and Caribbean beaches just got easier for hundreds of thousands of Canadian winter escapees.

Porter Airlines announced it will launch direct flights between Toronto and San José starting December 2, 2026. The seasonal service runs four times weekly through April 30, 2027, perfectly timed for Canadians seeking sunshine during the coldest months back home.

The airline is bringing its passenger-friendly Embraer E195-E2 jets to the route. Every seat comes with free Wi-Fi, complimentary beer and wine served in real glassware, and premium snacks. The 132-seat planes have no middle seats, giving travelers extra comfort on the five-hour journey.

This marks Porter's second Costa Rican destination in less than a year. The airline started flying Toronto to Liberia in December 2025 as its first Central American route. That service proved so popular that Porter scaled up from two weekly flights to six within months, then quickly added Ottawa to Liberia flights.

The San José route opens up completely different parts of Costa Rica compared to Liberia. While Liberia serves the northern Pacific beaches of Guanacaste, San José puts travelers within reach of the Central Valley, both coastlines, and iconic destinations like Manuel Antonio National Park and the Osa Peninsula.

The Ripple Effect

This expansion arrives at a perfect moment for Costa Rica's tourism recovery. Canada sent 273,000 air visitors to Costa Rica in 2024, making it the country's second-biggest source market after the United States. Tourism officials have set a goal of growing Canadian arrivals by 5% annually.

Canadian travelers match up beautifully with what Costa Rica offers. They tend to seek outdoor activities, wildlife encounters, adventure sports, and wellness experiences rather than just beach resorts. That spending pattern supports local eco-lodges, tour guides, national parks, and rural communities across the country.

Porter's entry also creates healthy competition on an already busy route. Air Canada, WestJet, Copa, and others already fly Toronto to San José, but a fourth direct option typically pushes winter fares down during peak season when prices usually spike.

The new flights need regulatory approval before bookings open on Porter's website. The airline is simultaneously adding Aruba, Montego Bay, and Los Cabos, representing a 150% increase in warm-weather routes and connecting six Canadian cities to more winter sunshine.

Winter in Canada means summer business for Costa Rica, and now more travelers have a comfortable way to make that connection.