The José Martí International Airport announced on its social media that they expect the air conditioning issue to be resolved "in the coming hours" after a new air conditioning system has been installed.
"With the arrival of new material resources and the dedication of those who have not rested in the face of the task, José Martí International Airport manages to continue taking positive steps in the recovery of the air-conditioning system in the lounges of Terminal 3," reads an optimistic post on Facebook this Thursday.
The text adds that it is expected that in the next few hours "it will be installed and providing the direct air conditioning service to the passengers' last waiting lounge, the rooftop installed in previous days."
A rooftop is a direct expansion air conditioning unit that is used to air condition and ventilate an enclosed interior space, being able to generate heat or cold within the same unit. It is installed on rooftops, and the distribution of air into the interior is done through ducts.
How many hours are the next hours? "Still having problems with the air conditioning? Then continue on to the rest of the country," two commentators reacted ironically to the announcement.
In another previous publication, airport authorities indicated that work was continuing "non-stop" to "shorten the time of the work and commission the air conditioning equipment".
"From the early hours, mechanical and chemical cleaning of the condenser tubes in the chillers is carried out, the operation and start-up of the latest installed rooftops are supervised, and maintenance and cleaning continue to be given to the rooftops currently installed and providing services to the terminal," read another text.
However, despite the urgency resulting from the last two publications, there has actually been no air conditioning since mid-May, when the first protests by travelers on that issue became evident on social media.
However, the situation has become chaotic with the arrival of summer and the further increase in heat.
At the beginning of this week, it was already news that an Italian tourist suffered a heatstroke due to the distressing temperature in the area.
To this is added the most recent report of the fainting of newly arrived Chinese tourists on an Air China flight to Havana.
"People started fainting, and because there were so many people in those conditions, the doctors couldn't cope. We Cubans had to provide assistance to the Chinese ourselves," journalist Elizabeth Cánova stated on social media.
A thousand apologies for an old issue.
Iran Cueto Carmona, General Director of the José Martí International Airport, appeared this week, even in a video, explaining that they were actively working to solve the lack of air conditioning at the country's main airport.
Almost two months after the first complaints were made on social media about the air conditioning problems at the airport, Cueto Carmona has explained that they are setting up a "rooftop" group that would complement the main cooling system of that terminal.
Iran Cueto Carmona indicated that the "issues" with the climate system of Terminal 3 at the José Martí International Airport originated from a malfunction, of which he did not offer details.
The belated explanation from the highest authority of the Airport came almost two months after the breakdown, possibly at the behest of the Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, arguably the Cuban minister who is most visible to the public, and who recently visited the facility in search of answers.
On May 14th and 15th, the workers of Air Terminal 3 reported on the social network Facebook that they were working tirelessly to solve the issues that had occurred in the air conditioning system.
The lack of air conditioning is a recurring issue at Havana Airport, causing discomfort for both the staff working at the facility and the travelers who visit it.
Since 2021, several repair actions have been carried out at the airport that, according to authorities, have resulted in "significant improvements" to the infrastructure, including the air conditioning systems.
Authorities have repeatedly discussed the need to expand Terminal 3, which receives international flights from Europe and other regions. Despite the recognized urgency, it would require a multimillion-dollar investment, and the current economic crisis in the country poses challenges for its realization.
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