Air traffic increases in Cuba with reopening of airports

Roberto Peña, president of the Cuban Civil Aviation Corporation (CACSA), said that travellers’ movement decreased in the island as globally, which should return to 2019 levels at least by 2023.

Airfreight also suffered a negative impact, although this is one of the activities that maintained cargo, humanitarian and collaboration flights with vitality, Peña said on national television this Thursday.

Although the CACSA president predicted a serious decrease in late 2020, international airlines are gradually requesting flights to Cuba.

According to Brigadier General Armando Luis Daniel Lopez, president of Cuba’s Civil Aeronautics Institute (IACC), before the air terminals closed as a result of the pandemic, about 60 companies were flying to the island and little by little they asked to return.

To date, some 34 airlines, 14 from Europe, 11 from Latin America and the Caribbean and nine from North America, have requested permissions to restart flights.

On March 23, 2020, Cuba cancelled commercial air operations, including charter and regular flights, which were resumed under strict health protocols on October 15 at all airports, except Havana, which resumed its functions on Sunday, November 15.