Costa Rican Officials Clarify Leaked Air Safety Report as Preliminary and Erroneous

November 25, 2025 at 02:30 PM•2 min read•Tico Times

Costa Rican officials clarified a leaked ICAO air safety report, stating the preliminary failing score was erroneous and removed.

Key Points

1Costa Rican officials swiftly addressed a leaked ICAO report, clarifying its preliminary failing air safety score of 61.58 as erroneous.
2The ICAO audit, which remains ongoing, mistakenly published the data, leading to its prompt removal and official denial of any immediate impact on operations.
3Despite the clarification, the incident highlights persistent issues like insufficient staffing and outdated infrastructure, echoing a 2019 US FAA Category 2 downgrade.
4Two high-level resignations occurred within Civil Aviation amidst the audit, with officials acknowledging the need for improvements in oversight and facilities.

Costa Rican transport officials moved swiftly to address a leaked International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) report that erroneously assigned the nation a failing score in air safety oversight. The document, which briefly appeared online, indicated a score of 61.58 out of 100, falling below ICAO's 75-point threshold. Minister of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) Efraím Zeledón confirmed the information was posted due to an error and has since been removed, emphasizing that the ICAO audit remains ongoing with final results pending.

The ICAO evaluation assesses a nation’s capacity to oversee critical aviation safety areas, including legal frameworks, organizational structures, personnel licensing, flight operations, air navigation services, and airport supervision. While the leaked data showed Costa Rica performing adequately in airworthiness (87.88 points) and aerodrome oversight (75.2 points), other areas like personnel licensing (39.24 points) and operations (37.93 points) indicated significant deficiencies. This preliminary score marked a sharp decline from the 2017 assessment, where the country achieved ratings between 77.78 and 96.97.

Zeledón assured the public that these preliminary figures do not affect airline ticket prices, insurance policies, or international flight operations, stating that ICAO does not impose minimum scores or restrict activities based on interim findings. However, the incident has raised concerns among airlines and travelers, potentially impacting Costa Rica’s aviation reputation. Regional comparisons reveal Costa Rica lagging behind neighbors such as the Dominican Republic (90.5%), Guatemala (87.5%), Honduras (88.7%), and El Salvador (81.69%), with even the United States rated at 88.9%.

In the wake of the report, two high-level resignations occurred within Costa Rica's Civil Aviation, though MOPT officials denied any direct link to the safety score. The government acknowledges the need for improvements, recommending steps such as expanding and training oversight personnel, upgrading airport facilities, revising administrative processes, and enhancing coordination with ICAO to align with international benchmarks. This incident echoes a 2019 downgrade by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to Category 2, which restricted new US routes until Costa Rica's compliance was restored in 2021, though officials stress the current situation is not a formal downgrade.