The critical energy situation facing the country is also affecting the main airport for arrivals and departures in Cuba, the José Martí International Airport in Havana, which surprised its users with a power outage once again this Monday.
The Instagram user un_martitodurako8_live_oficial shared a video of the darkened terminal, with several people inside waiting for the power service to be restored, which had halted the operations of the airport terminal.
"The Havana Airport lost power, can you imagine an airplane about to land at Terminal 3?" was the question posed by this user.
On the social media platform TikTok, user @lalenoaurra described the situation as "astonishing," adding that it was "hard to believe," while showing people waiting at one of the check-in counters. However, in her video, the screens were lit up, and by the end of it, the airport service was seen to be returning.
Internet users reacted to this event with jokes and criticism, reflecting on a situation that tarnishes a traveler’s first and last impression of Cuba.
"But there is no electricity where they were holding the Habanos Festival," mentioned one person, referring to the opulence displayed at the event, which concluded with a gala dinner—completely detached from the reality that ordinary Cubans experience.
"If the country is out of food, it's not surprising that an airport is without power," added another user.
This is not the first time something like this has happened at Cuba's main airport. In October 2022, a blackout caught travelers by surprise at this terminal, and they had to be taken to a hotel after their flight was canceled.
In August 2023, a similar incident occurred at this airfield, leaving a negative impression on the travelers present.
Immobilized baggage conveyor belts, turned-off information screens, and expressions of disbelief on the faces of many travelers were captured by a user who shared the images on social media.
According to the Electric Union of Cuba, on Monday at 7:00 am, the availability of the National Electro-Energetic System (SEN) was 1,950 MW, while the demand reached 2,140 MW. At 5:55 am, service began to be affected due to a capacity deficit in the system.
Last week, the regime announced that the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant, the largest in the country, was disconnected from the national electricity grid starting Wednesday, February 28, for a period of 17 days for maintenance work.
Meanwhile, they also halted operations at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camagüey to carry out "planned maintenance," which will last until April.
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