WestJet inaugurates weekly Vancouver-Guanacaste route using Boeing 737 MAX 8.

December 20, 2025 at 03:02 AM•1 min read

WestJet launched its new direct weekly service connecting Vancouver (YVR) and Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica.

Key Points

1WestJet launched direct weekly service between Vancouver (YVR) and Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica, utilizing a Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft.
2The YVR-LIR route will operate every Friday, commencing with 153 passengers on the inaugural flight, scheduled to run until April 24, 2026.
3WestJet is now the Canadian airline offering the most direct routes into Guanacaste, including existing services from Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal.

Guanacaste Airport (LIR), part of the VINCI Airports network, celebrated the inauguration of WestJet’s new direct service from Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The inaugural flight, operated by a Boeing 737-8 Max, arrived with 153 passengers, significantly expanding air connectivity between Canada’s west coast and Costa Rica’s northern Pacific region. This weekly route (YVR–LIR) is scheduled to operate every Friday through April 24, 2026.

This new operation solidifies WestJet’s position as the Canadian carrier offering the most direct routes to Guanacaste. The airline now serves LIR from Toronto (YYZ), Calgary (YYC), Montreal (YUL), and Vancouver (YVR), with service from Winnipeg (YWR) planned soon. WestJet Senior Director Mike Perkins emphasized that the connection provides Canadians with greater access to Costa Rica, enhancing travel convenience.

Costa Rican Tourism Minister William Rodríguez López welcomed the route, noting that the connection acts as a bridge linking the two coasts and promoting sustainable tourism, adventure, and cultural exchange. César Jaramillo, General Manager of Guanacaste Airport, highlighted that the new route strengthens tourism and boosts the local economy, reinforcing the destination's appeal as a sustainable gateway for Canadian travelers.