MIAMI, United States. – The Swiss airline Edelweiss announced the suspension of its direct flights between Zurich and Havana from the end of February 2025, given the “low demand” and the “current conditions” at the José Martí International Airport. The last service, which includes the round trip, is scheduled for February 27, 2025, as reported by the company in a note cited by the Swiss media. 20 Minuten.
According to the note, it was determined that guaranteeing “long-term stable and reliable operation” on that route has become complicated.
Passengers with tickets issued for later dates are receiving notifications through the airline or its travel agencies, with the possibility of rescheduling their flights to other destinations or requesting a full refund. Meanwhile, Edelweiss will continue to operate its non-stop route between Zurich and Havana until the day of the last flight.
The specialized site Aviationonline also confirmed these adjustments in Edelweiss’ programming to the Caribbean. Furthermore, another European leisure airline, Condor, recently announced the suspension of its flights from Frankfurt to Havana, Varadero and Holguín.
In this way, Cuba is left without direct flights to Switzerland and Germany.
Currently, airlines that maintain regular connections between Europe and Cuba include Aeroflot, Air France, Air China, Turkish Airlines, Air Europa and Iberia. For their part, some charter companies, such as Nordwind, Plus Ultra and World2Fly, maintain routes to the Island, despite the recent cuts announced by other European operators.
According to a report from the German media Touristik Aktuellthe last departure to Holguín of the Condor airline will take place on April 27, 2025, while operations to Varadero will end on the 29th of that same month, and those directed to Havana will conclude on May 2.
From then on, these Cuban destinations will not be accessible from Germany through direct Condor flights.
The company justified this decision to the tour operators by pointing out that it is an “economic necessity.” In statements to the aforementioned media, the airline confirmed: “Condor will not offer flights to Cuba next summer, but will transfer capacities to destinations with greater demand. We will give details later.”
At the moment, it is also unknown if Condor will resume operations to the Island in the winter of 2025/2026. During the current winter season, the company still serves routes to Havana, Varadero and Holguín. However, starting in January, the frequency to Holguín will be reduced, maintaining only a Sunday flight.
According to the report, the decrease in demand for trips to Cuba could be related to the difficult internal situation in the country and the warnings issued by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The recommendation, updated at the end of October, urges travelers to “prepare carefully for trips to Cuba and carefully evaluate their necessity.” The economic crisis, frequent power cuts and supply problems on the island would have reduced tourist interest, influencing the commercial decisions of the German airline.
