Southwest relaunches flights from Tampa to Havana
HAVANA, Dec. 3th Southwest Airlines will bring back its popular Tampa to Havana, Cuba route before the busy holiday season.
Southwest Airlines will resume the Cuba flight on Dec. 6. The relaunch of the service follows other airlines putting international destinations back on their schedules from Tampa International Airport. Cuba is a large market especially for Tampa as the area is home to more than 73,000 Cubans, according to TPA.
Southwest, like many others, had to temporarily halt Havana flights in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.
Cuba still has restrictions in place to ensure safety. Travellers visiting Cuba must receive a Covid-19 test upon arrival at José Martí International Airport, which is free, and must quarantine for 24 hours. Also, incoming travellers must carry travel insurance that covers Covid-19, which can be purchased at the airport for $30, according to TPA.
Charter service to Cuba also resumed aboard World Atlantic Airlines in November.
Other international flights that have recently resumed include service to Nassau, Bahamas; Toronto, Canada; Cancun, Mexico; and soon Panama City.
TPA does offer Covid-19 tests for passengers through its partnership with BayCare. The two types of FDA-approved Covid-19 tests offered are the Polymerase Chain Reaction and rapid antigen.
Most destinations that have Covid-19 restrictions require a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of travel to exempt the traveller from a mandatory quarantine.
