A Russian airline plane Nordwind landed this Saturday, November 8 in the Frank País International Airportfrom the city of Holguín, marking the resumption of direct flights between Moscow and this important tourist destination in eastern Cuba, suspended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aircraft was received with the traditional water arch, a symbol of welcome in civil aviation.
The Russian embassy in Cuba confirmed the restoration of the route, which exceeds 9,000 kilometers in distance and connects the Russian capital with the main gateway to the Holguín province.
Nordwind Airlines, a company with experience in this connection since December 2017, will operate the itinerary using high-capacity aircraft to respond to the demand of the Russian market.
Headquartered in Moscow with an operational base at Sheremetyevo International Airport, Nordwind began operations in 2008 as a charter airline.
Currently, it maintains links with the tour operator Pegas Touristik, responsible for the marketing of the tourist package that includes the connection with Cuba.
Flights from Russia and the fall of tourism in Cuba
The reestablishment of this route is part of the Cuban Government’s strategy to revitalize international tourism, one of the sectors hardest hit by the island’s economic crisis.
Russia has historically established itself as one of the three main countries that send tourists to Cuba and is considered a key player in the sector’s recovery efforts.
Despite the official goals of closing 2025 with 2.6 million visitors, the figures still show a performance below expectations.
With almost 400 thousand fewer visitors until September, Cuban tourism remains in the red
According to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), between January and August of this year, 1,259,972 international tourists arrived in Cuba, which represents a decrease of 21.6% compared to the same period in 2024.
Projections indicate that the country could end the year with around 1.8 million visitors, well below the historical record of 4.7 million reached in 2018.
While destinations such as Cancun and Punta Cana show an accelerated recovery, Cuba continues to face serious challenges to reactivate its tourism industry, essential for the entry of foreign currency into the national economy.
