Cuba will receive from November 15 more than 400 flights a week, of which 77 will arrive in Havana from the United States, he said in Press conference the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila. The official said that there are airlines that have not confirmed all the frequencies they have granted, so the number of flights could be higher when the country opens its borders.
Regarding the connections between the US and the island, which currently only have four weekly frequencies scheduled, he specified that the almost 80 flights have not yet been confirmed by all US airlines and that the country plans to receive a total of 147.
In the case of arrivals to other provinces, it will depend on what the US Government has available, taking into account the current sanctions that prevent flights out of the capital. “All frequencies are approved,” said the official, insisting that Cuba’s efforts to expand connections “have been done.”
The country is only receiving 63 weekly flights these days and, in anticipation of the increase, according to Rodríguez, the Government has carried out “intense rehabilitation work in the main terminals of the José Martí airport.” Among the renovations, he mentioned the expansion of the Customs hall in Terminal 3 and the exchange houses.
To the question about the traffic jam that could occur in the air terminals due to delays in some services such as the charging of magnetic cards, something that has been happening frequently in recent months in the country, Rodríguez affirmed that “the problem is known and is being actively working. ” “In the next few days he will have a definitive solution.”
Regarding the connections between the United States and the island, he specified that the almost 80 flights have not yet been confirmed by all the United States airlines and that the country plans to receive a total of 147
Over the domestic flights He explained that Cubana de Aviación “has tried to hire aircraft to perform these services” without much progress due to the laws of the United States that sanction this type of leasing. However, the airline, he assured, “will increase national transportation with its own aircraft” although “it will not be at the level we would like.”
Cuba suspended commercial and charter flights in April 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and in October of that year reopened airports, but with a minimum of flights from the US, Mexico, Panama, Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, after an unstoppable increase in covid-19 infections with the reestablishment of some air connections.
Starting next November 7, incoming travelers will not have to undergo a mandatory quarantine nor present a negative PCR, although they must show an international certificate of vaccination against COVID-19, authorities said. In the case of those who are not vaccinated, they must present a negative PCR-RT certificate for the coronavirus, carried out in a certified laboratory within 72 hours prior to the trip.
On the other hand, this Monday the Frank País García International Airport in Holguín received the first cargo flight from the United States with 3.4 tons of packages for Aerovaradero customers, the air terminal reported on its website Facebook. The IBC Airways company, in charge of the operation, plans another flight to the province this month.
IBC Airways was licensed together with Skyway Enterprises by the US Department of Transportation last july to make flights to Cuba that do not have commercial purposes. The permit, which will be in effect until November 30, includes charter flights “for emergency medical purposes, search and rescue, and other trips deemed to be of interest to the United States.”
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