Gridlocks in Costa Rica´s Main Airport Rile Travelers

Long lines of passengers have become commonplace at the entrance of the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica´s San Jose due to ever-growing troves of foreign tourists coming to the country and lack of capacity to cater to them properly, sources close to the local aviation industry warned this week.

Countless travelers have grumbled over the uncomfortable long lines that stretch out for 200 yards in front of customs booths and immigration checkpoints, especially on weekends and Mondays.

The airport is being run since the year 2000 by the Alterra consortium, whose top shareholder is Bechtel, the construction giant. This company mothballed works to enhance the terminal in 2003 as a result of bitter bickering over tax collection between the government and the enterprise.

Lack of space and customs personnel has given rise to long lines of arriving passengers. It sometimes takes up to a couple of hours for them to get their immigration clearances and walk out of the airport.