World2Fly begins flights to Holguín from the Czech Republic.

Holguín's "Frank País García" International Airport welcomed the inaugural flight of the Spanish airline World2Fly, connecting the Cuban city with Prague, Czech Republic, for the first time.

This new route, operated in collaboration with the Czech tour operator DER Touristik, aims to mark an important step in the beginning of the high tourist season in the eastern region of Cuba.

"The arrival of the inaugural flight of the airline World2Fly, operating from Prague with the tour operator 'Der Touristik,' marks the approach of the high season. This airline will connect Holguín with the Czech Republic," the Holguín airport published on Facebook this Saturday.

This inaugural flight not only opens a new gateway between Europe and Cuba, but also aims to strengthen the strategic role of Holguín as one of the key destinations for international tourism on the island.

The airline will use Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with a capacity for 432 passengers, and Airbus A330-300, offering 255 seats in economy class and 30 in business class. The operation targets the Czech market and aims to promote the natural and cultural attractions of eastern Cuba among tourists from that country.

Change of strategy in World2Fly's routes

The new Prague-Holguín route is part of a strategic adjustment by World2Fly for the 2024/2025 winter season.

In April, the airline decided to cease its flights from Prague to Santa Clara and redirect its attention towards Holguín, a business decision that would respond to a growing demand for exotic destinations and sun-and-beach experiences.

This movement coincides with DER Touristik's efforts to diversify its Caribbean destination offerings, expanding its flight network from the Czech capital to other parts of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.

Since October, DER Touristik has transported over 20,000 tourists to destinations such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam, with a noteworthy 95% occupancy rate on flights. This figure reflects the growing interest in tropical destinations, which has likely driven the need to expand operations to new connection points like Holguín.

Spanish airlines reduce flights to Cuba.

World2Fly's decision contrasts with those made by Spanish airlines that, in August 2023, announced the cancellation and reduction of flights to Cuba due to lower demand from travelers heading to the Island.

One of them, Iberojet, canceled its route from Madrid to Santiago de Cuba starting in October of that year due to "operational reasons," less than a year after it was inaugurated.

According to knowledgeable sources, the suspension of the route was due to low occupancy on flights and the situation tourists encounter upon arrival in the eastern city.

"It is a problem of the destination, its hotel infrastructure, and the lack of activities for visitors. Iberojet aims to bring tourists, going beyond the so-called 'ethnic traveler,' and Santiago is not prepared to respond to this," the sources emphasized.

For its part, Iberia has reduced its flights to Havana to three times a week. According to a company spokesperson, "reducing to three weekly flights is what had already been anticipated."

In June 2023, it was reported that Spanish airlines traveling from that country to Cuba were experiencing low occupancy.

The flights operated by Iberia, World2fly, Iberojet, and Air Europa were only managing to sell half of their capacities, a figure that confirms the grim outlook for tourism in Cuba, a destination that is losing appeal compared to its competitors in the Caribbean.