A very unique Frontier Airlines plane touched down at Juan Santamaría International Airport near Costa Rica’s capital. Featuring a large image of a two-toed sloth named “Tico” on its tail, the aircraft arrived from Atlanta as part of Frontier’s signature branding showcasing endangered species from destination countries.
Frontier is known for adorning each of its ultra-low cost carriers with colorful graphics of a specific animal from across its network. Each creature is carefully researched and named, bringing further attention to vulnerable wildlife around the world. For Costa Rica, our beloved national symbol – the sloth – was determined to have the right mix of endearing personality and global appeal to represent the small country’s diverse ecology.
The specific sloth chosen resides in tip-top shape at the Natuwa Sanctuary in Puntarenas, selected after consultation between Frontier, the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), and sloth biologists in 2022. Multiple candidates had photoshoots respecting regulations for handling the famously mellow mammals before “Tico” was ultimately crowned the winner.
As Frontier Airlines VP of Marketing Tyri Squyres expressed: “We are thrilled about our partnership with Costa Rica’s travel industry in launching an aircraft celebrating the cherished sloth…Introducing ‘Tico’ showcases the deep admiration we have for Costa Rica and its iconic national symbol.” Squyres added that Frontier remains committed to environmental protection efforts focused on vulnerable species across the Americas.
Owing to the fact they spend 90% of their lives inverted in the rainforest canopy munching leaves, sloths can survive over 30 years in the wild under the right conservation conditions – a lifespan Costa Rica strongly supports through forest protections.
Multiple direct daily flights already connect Frontier’s Atlanta hub to San José, conveniently transporting some of the nearly 1.5 million U.S. tourists that visited Costa Rica by air last year as the nation’s top source market. And any passengers flying aboard the aptly named “TicoJet” will start their Costa Rican vacation with an extra dose of pura vida vibes the moment they board.
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Ileana Fernandez
