Costa Rica’s Costa Rica Airlines to shut down over safety concerns

Costa Rica is to shut the country’s air carriers for two weeks over safety fears over the handling of the countrys Ebola virus outbreak.

The countrys national airline, Costa Rica Airways, said Friday that it will temporarily suspend operations after authorities discovered a “security risk” related to an outbreak at the airport, and ordered a thorough security review of all the airlines aircraft.

In a statement, Costa Rican Transport Minister Enrique Guadalupe-Escobar said the country had been preparing for the Ebola outbreak and that “the decision to suspend operations will be made by the government of Costa Rica.”

The Costa Rican government has said it will not allow passengers to travel until it has been assured that the country has all necessary measures in place to prevent any spread of the virus.

The Costa Rica air carrier says the suspension is necessary because it is taking measures to address safety concerns and to avoid an outbreak.

Guadalupe Escobar told reporters in Costa Rica that the airline is conducting a thorough review of its safety protocols to ensure that they are in accordance with the regulations.

He said the airline will be holding a meeting with aviation authorities on Saturday to discuss the matter further.

On Friday, the Costa Rican Civil Aviation Authority announced that the nations air carrier will not be operating its planes for the next 24 hours due to the outbreak at its airport in Belize.

The government of Belize says it will also suspend its flights from the island nation until further notice.

The closure of the air carriers comes just days after Costa Rica reported a 40% drop in travelers to the country in March.