Dear Hawkman,

Thank you for posting on our forum and bringing this issue to our attention.

We have checked on your case with MRLB authorities and would like to share our findings with you as well as with our Members and users of our website in order to alert the GA community. We have requested the official notice published in 2015 where Costa Rica Civil Aviation authorities establish the requirement for a written notification for all international flights landing in Costa Rica and mandatory Handling in MRLB and MROC. We have been informed that the only international airport where handling is not YET mandatory is MRPV. The reason this procedure has been implemented is so that only customers who have an account with civil aviation be able to make payment for local fees. Authorities can no longer receive payments directly. Therefore, all payments for fees need to be made through the handler who have an established account to make these payments. If an aircraft lands without having made arrangements for a local handler, then one will be assigned to the arriving aircraft. The fee charged will vary according to the rate structure of the company assigned to provide the service. If an aircraft arrives without having submitted prior notification to Costa Rica’s civil aviation authorities, the user can expect delays and additional security screenings. The recommendation is to provide notification so that all services are available at the time of arrival including that of the antidrug police. For a technical stop, the use of a handler should ensure a quick turnaround. The first hour of parking is free. Parking fees at all international airports in Costa Rica are steep: US$9.80 per hour during the day and a 50% lower rate during the night. At MRLB you can expect to pay a parking fee of US$178.00 per day. The only way around this is by repositioning to a domestic airport (non AOE). However, in that case, an entry permit will be required and the use of a handler to obtain and make payment for the permit will be necessary as well. All of these requirements are increasing the cost and complexity of flying to Costa Rica, as is the case with many Latin American countries. We agree with you, not GA friendly and especially not welcoming for light GA.

The last edition of the CST Pilot’s Guide is 2013-2015. At that time GA procedures for Costa Rica did not require prior notification nor the use of a handler; fees could still be paid directly by the user to the Costa Rican authorities and parking fees were based on the MTOW of the aircraft. We will make sure to update this information in our next edition. In the meantime, we will alert the GA community and members of our Pilots Association to avoid more unpleasant surprises. Please note that the purchase of our 2013-2015 edition of our Pilot’s Guide includes a 1 year free membership to our Pilots Association in which we do update information on country procedures and forms.

Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention.

CST

CST Flight Services (Formerly: Caribbean Sky Tours)
www.cstflightservices.com