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José Martí International Airport announced on its social media that they expect to have the air conditioning issue resolved "in the coming hours" after a new cooling system was installed.
"With the arrival of new material resources and the dedication of those who have not rested in their efforts, José Martí International Airport is achieving positive progress in the recovery of the climate control system in Terminal 3," reads an optimistic post on Facebook this Thursday.
The text adds that it is expected that in the coming hours "the rooftop, installed in previous days, will be set up and providing direct air conditioning service to the passengers' final waiting area."
A rooftop unit is a direct expansion air conditioning system designed to heat and ventilate an enclosed interior space, capable of producing either hot or cold air within the same unit. It is installed on rooftops, and air is distributed indoors through ducts.
"How many hours are the upcoming hours?"; "Still having issues with the air conditioning? Then continue through the rest of the country," reacted two commentators with irony to the announcement.
In a previous post, airport authorities indicated that work was ongoing "without interruption" to "reduce the duration of the work and bring the air conditioning systems online."
"Since early morning, mechanical and chemical cleaning of the condenser tubes in the chillers has been carried out. The operation and startup of the latest installed rooftops are being monitored, and similarly, maintenance and cleaning continue for the rooftops that are currently installed and servicing the terminal," read another message.
However, despite the urgency highlighted by the last two publications, there has actually been no air conditioning since mid-May, when the first complaints from travelers about this issue became evident on social media.
However, the situation has become chaotic with the arrival of summer and the even greater increase in heat.
At the beginning of this week, it was reported that an Italian tourist suffered a heat stroke due to the distressing temperature in the area.
This is further compounded by the most recent report of Chinese tourists fainting upon arrival on an Air China flight to Havana.
"People began to faint, and with so many people in that condition, the doctors were overwhelmed. We had to provide assistance to the Chinese ourselves," reported journalist Elizabeth Cánova on social media.
My sincerest apologies for an old issue
Irán Cueto Carmona, the general director of José Martí International Airport, appeared this week, even in a video, explaining that they were actively working to resolve the lack of air conditioning at the country's main airport.
Almost two months after the initial complaints surfaced on social media regarding the air conditioning issues at the airport, Cueto Carmona has explained that they are setting up a "rooftop" group that will supplement the main cooling system of that terminal.
Irán Cueto Carmona stated that the "problems" with the air conditioning system at Terminal 3 of José Martí International Airport arose from a malfunction, about which he did not provide details.
The delayed explanation from the highest authority of the airport came nearly two months after the incident, likely at the behest of the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, who is certainly the Cuban minister most willing to engage with citizens. Recently, he visited the facility in search of answers.
On May 14 and 15, the workers at Terminal 3 reported on the social network Facebook that they were working tirelessly to resolve the issues that had arisen in the climate control system.
The lack of air conditioning is a recurring issue at Havana Airport, causing discomfort for both the staff working there and the travelers who must visit.
Since 2021, several repair actions have taken place at the airport, which authorities claim have resulted in "significant improvements" to the infrastructure, including the air conditioning systems.
Authorities have repeatedly discussed the need to expand Terminal 3, which accommodates international flights from Europe and other regions. Despite the recognized urgency, it would require a multi-million dollar investment, and the current economic crisis in the country presents challenges for its realization.
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