Fifty-two point two nautical miles between Chiriquí and Osa. It is the shortest international flight in the Central American catalogue, joining two regions that are neighbours on the map and a day apart by road. Quoted per aircraft on request.
Route facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Enrique Malek (DAV / MPDA), David |
| Destination | Puerto Jiménez (PJM / MRPJ) |
| Distance | 52.2 NM · 97 km |
| International | Yes |
| Price | Quoted per aircraft on request |
Neighbours on the map, distant in practice
Chiriquí and Osa share a border and a climate, and their two economies live on the same things: mountains, coffee, rainforest and fishing.
Overland you have to cross at Paso Canoas and then follow the Interamericana to the peninsula turn-off. It is a full day with a land border crossing in the middle whose duration nobody controls.
Fifty-two nautical miles by air. In a band where the catalogue almost always advises against flying, here the border changes the arithmetic.
Departure and entry formalities vary by country and need lead time; we coordinate them with every passenger’s details.
The shortest international sector we operate
And it deserves a warning, because the figure misleads.
Fifty-two nautical miles do not mean short formalities. The exit and entry deadlines are the same as on a two-hundred-mile flight, and on a sector like this the paperwork lasts longer than the flight. Departure and entry formalities vary by country and need lead time; we coordinate them with every passenger’s details.
It is the most literal demonstration of what the catalogue keeps repeating: a border is not measured in nautical miles. Here the proportion makes it obvious.
Anyone planning this leg as a short hop is planning it wrong. It is an international sector that happens to be short, not a short sector that happens to be international.
When it pays and when it does not
It pays if your itinerary combines Boquete or the Gulf of Chiriquí with Corcovado or Golfo Dulce, and you have fixed dates on the other side. What you buy is not speed: it is knowing how long it will take.
It does not pay if you travel with margin and a tight budget. The land crossing works, it is far cheaper, and an extra day on the Interamericana does not ruin a long trip.
We say it as we do at Managua–San José: against a certain cost the flight pays; against an uncertain one, only if you cannot carry the risk.
And if your real destination is Drake Bay
From David it is 74.3 nautical miles direct, twenty-two more than to Puerto Jiménez.
That may sound minor, but it changes the aircraft: both fields are 18 m wide and neither restricts by size. With a large group, arriving via Puerto Jiménez and continuing overland may be the only workable option. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
From the airport to the gulf lodges there is also a transfer we do not operate. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is David to Puerto Jiménez?
The flight covers 52.2 nautical miles. Overland it is a full day crossing at Paso Canoas.
Is it the shortest international flight you operate?
In the Central American catalogue, yes. Which is why the paperwork lasts longer than the flight. Departure and entry formalities vary by country and need lead time; we coordinate them with every passenger’s details.
Are the formalities shorter because the sector is short?
No. The deadlines are the same as on a two-hundred-mile flight.
When does it pay?
If you combine Chiriquí with Osa and have fixed dates on the other side. What you buy is not speed, it is knowing how long it will take.
And if I am going to Drake Bay?
It is 74.3 nautical miles direct, and the strip takes them: 1,000 × 18 m. With a large group it may suit to arrive via Puerto Jiménez. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Is the transfer included?
No. From the airport to the gulf lodges there is a transfer we do not operate. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
Enquire
See also: San José to Puerto Jiménez · Panama City to David · Crossing borders by private flight · How much does a private charter to Drake Bay cost · All destinations · Door-to-lodge transfer · Boquete and the Chiriquí Highlands · Private Charter from David to Drake Bay · Private Charter from David to Santiago de Veraguas · Private Charter from David to Golfito · Private Charter from Drake Bay to Puerto Jiménez