Understanding High-Season Parking Restrictions at Liberia Airport (MRLB) for General Aviation

Costa Rica’s Liberia Airport (MRLB) has become one of the fastest-growing destinations for private aviation in Central America. With world-class resorts, luxury tourism, and year-round demand, the airport continues to attract operators from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Latin America.

However, from December through April, Liberia faces a recurring challenge: limited parking capacity for General Aviation (GA). As traffic increases, so do the operational complexities behind securing a parking position on the ramp.

At AeroLogística, we believe transparency is essential. This blog explains why parking is restricted during the high season, how the reservation system works, and why operators should trust their handling and trip support teams to manage the process efficiently.

1. Why Parking Is Restricted During High Season

The spike in private aviation is driven by holiday travel, high-end tourism, business activity, and seasonal residents arriving in Gulfstreams, Globals, Phenoms, and turboprops. Liberia’s ramp, however, was not designed to accommodate the current levels of peak demand.

Key factors include:

• Limited physical ramp space

There is only a fixed number of safe parking positions. Once those spots are filled, Civil Aviation cannot assign additional aircraft without compromising safety or operational flow.

• Increased arrival clustering

Most private flights arrive within similar time windows—typically mornings and early afternoons—creating bottlenecks.

• Turnaround vs. overnight parking

Many operators request overnight or multi-day parking, which further reduces available capacity for incoming flights.

• Priority for scheduled airline operations

Commercial flights have priority on certain aprons, reducing flexibility for General Aviation placement.

In short: high demand meets finite space.

2. How the Parking Approval Process Actually Works

There is often confusion among operators about who controls the parking at Liberia.

Only one entity has authority: Costa Rica Civil Aviation (DGAC).

The ramp is not owned or divided by handling companies.

It is one unified apron, fully administered and assigned by DGAC.

The Approval Workflow

1. Your handling company submits a formal request with aircraft type, size, ETA, ETD, and operational needs.

2. Civil Aviation reviews space availability, taking into account:

• Aircraft wingspan

• Adjacent parking safety distances

• Traffic congestion at the time of arrival

• Other aircraft already holding confirmed slots

• Departure patterns and daily capacity limits

3. DGAC then issues an approval, denial, or alternative time recommendation.

This evaluation can take hours or even days, depending on traffic volume and internal procedures. Importantly:

The speed of the response does not depend on the handler.

3. The Misconception: “If I ask multiple handlers, I’ll have a better chance.”

Some operators believe that by contacting several handling companies simultaneously, they can secure parking faster or increase their chances of approval.

This is incorrect, and here’s why:

• All requests go to the same authority.

• All handlers submit requests into the same DGAC system.

• Duplicate requests can slow down processing, as DGAC must reconcile multiple entries for the same aircraft.

• It does not improve the likelihood of approval.

The truth is simple:

No handling company controls the ramp. Only Civil Aviation does.

4. Why Trusting One Handling Company Matters

Choosing a reliable, experienced handler is essential—especially during high season.

At AeroLogística, we maintain daily communication with DGAC, airport operations, and ramp management teams to:

• Monitor real-time parking capacity

• Coordinate changes in ETAs/ETDs

• Request alternate time slots when necessary

• Advocate for our clients when space is tight

• Ensure safe and compliant positioning of all supported aircraft

Submitting your request through one trusted partner ensures clarity, speed, and consistency.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Chances

• Send your schedule as early as possible

• Confirm your true ETA and ETD

• Communicate any changes immediately

• Avoid last-minute overnight parking requests in peak weeks

• Let your trip support and handler coordinate everything directly

A unified, accurate request is far more effective than multiple fragmented ones.

5. Our Commitment to You This High Season

At AeroLogística, our mission is to provide the most reliable, transparent, and efficient service for every aircraft arriving into Liberia. While parking restrictions are a reality during peak months, we work tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome for each operation.

You can count on us to:

• Submit your parking request promptly

• Follow up continuously with Civil Aviation

• Keep you informed at every step

• Propose operational alternatives when needed

• Support your flight with excellence from arrival to departure

Your operation is our priority—from the moment you call us until your aircraft departs Costa Rica.

Parking constraints at Liberia Airport are not caused by handlers, nor solved by submitting multiple requests. They are the result of high demand, limited space, and centralized control by Civil Aviation.

The best strategy for operators is straightforward:

Trust your handling company. Trust your trip support provider. Let us manage the process for you.

A successful high season depends on teamwork, communication, and experienced local coordination—and that’s exactly what AeroLogística delivers.