Juan Santamaria International Airport is located in Costa Rica, in the city of Alajuela, 18 km from the capital of San Jose. The country's main airport was opened in 1955, bears the name of the national hero of Costa Rica, who died in 1856 in a battle against the American filibusters led by William Walker who invaded Nicaragua. The airport operates direct flights to Central, South and North America, Europe and the Caribbean, as well as domestic flights. Its passenger traffic is on average 4.3 million people per year. Juan Santamaria Airport is the second (after the Tocumen International Airport in Panama) by traffic in Central America. Juan Santamaria International Airport was the first airport in Costa Rica to have an asphalt runway capable of accepting wide-body aircraft. More than 15 international companies operate flights to Juan Santamaria Airport, including American Airlines, Condor, JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, Avianca Costa Rica, Copa Airlines, Continental, Cubana de Aviación, Air Canada Rouge, Iberia. The terminal has a modern infrastructure, on its territory there are shops, restaurants, cafes, bank branches and ATMs, a pharmacy, Wi-Fi and comfortable waiting rooms. A bus runs between the airport and San Jose, you can also order a taxi or transfer to all areas of Costa Rica, rent a car. Juan Santamaria International Airport has been named Latin America's third best airport for quality of service.