Johanna Jolá Álvarez made public a request on Tuesday addressed to the Minister of Transportation of Cuba, expressing her dissatisfaction with what she considers an unfair treatment of passengers who purchase tickets for domestic flights.
Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, minister of the sector, recently announced on Facebook the partial restoration of the air conditioning system in Terminal 3 of the José Martí International Airport in Havana. It was in that post where the Cuban expressed her concern through the comments section.
Jolá Álvarez explained that travelers, many coming from provinces and arriving at Terminal 1 in Havana after paying for expensive taxis, are informed that they will be transported by bus instead of boarding the originally scheduled flights.
He pointed out that these changes are made without prior notice or explanation, and without offering any type of refund for the alteration of the service.
In addition, he pointed out that in some cases the planes do not leave on the same day, which forces passengers to wait overnight, carrying their luggage outside the terminal, as they are not allowed to stay inside the facility.
This situation led Jolá Álvarez to ask the Minister of Transport: “How is it possible that changes or cancellations are not communicated despite all passengers providing their phone numbers?” he questioned in his message, emphasizing the lack of information provided to those affected.
The Cuban also expressed her concern about the absence of refunds for those who experience drastic changes in transportation, switching from air to ground, which affects travelers both financially and in terms of time: "Who handles the complaints from the public and where is the response for the affected customers?" she added.
Finally, Jolá Álvarez is confident that the minister will not overlook this issue, which has generated great discomfort among passengers, and hopes for a clear response that will guide the public on how to proceed in such bothersome and harmful situations.
Another internet user, named Lisbette CG, added: "Not to mention the hours and hours that people spend in uncertainty about whether the flight will take off or not, and among the passengers, countless children, many of whom are babies."
"They offer a snack after seven hours of lying around like animals, which consists of a juice and a bread, the same ones they sell in the terminal cafeterias," pointed out the complainant. "In my opinion, if they can't provide the service, they shouldn't sell tickets."
While leaving on a trip, a Cuban noticed that, at the Havana airport, old airplanes deteriorate in the open air due to government negligence and the harshness of the environment, as shown in a video published this Wednesday on social media.
"They are rotting there," expressed a person named Joan Licourt in a video posted on Facebook.
"I mounted it one day to go to Santiago de Cuba," added the young man, who reported that the aircraft, which could perhaps have flown again, now show a deplorable state.
The mobility of people between the different provinces of Cuba has become a significant problem, as many often turn to private transporters due to the scarcity of state options. This situation is further exacerbated by the lack of domestic flights.
In 2023, the Cuban regime announced that it would explore "the possibility of acquiring new aircraft" to revitalize its struggling sector, after the only state airline has gone years without flights to important international destinations due to a lack of planes.
"We continue to look for alternatives, both for passenger transportation and for cargo," said the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, after blaming the U.S. embargo for the widespread precariousness in Cuba.
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