Cuba to see increase in international flights in mid-November

HAVANA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) — The number of international flights to Cuba could increase from the current 63 a week to about 400 in mid-November as the island relaxes pandemic restrictions, Transportation Minister Eduardo Rodriguez said Tuesday.

“We strongly believe all these measures could contribute to improving passenger comfort,” Rodriguez told a news conference.

The number of flights from the United States to Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport is expected to increase from four to nearly 80 over the next few weeks, according to the Transportation Ministry.

Starting Nov. 7, international passengers will no longer be required to quarantine at a designated hotel, and as of Nov. 15, passengers will be able to enter with vaccination passports or certificates issued overseas.

However, unvaccinated foreign visitors will have to present a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours prior to their arrival. Children under 12 will not be required to show COVID-19 PCR tests or vaccination passports when visiting Cuba.

Relaxing the restrictions coincides with the start of the tourism high season in Cuba, which runs from November to April.

On Tuesday, the Caribbean nation registered 549 new daily cases of the coronavirus and six more deaths, taking the national total to 953,183 and 8,246, respectively.