Flights between Havana and the Isle of Youth are resuming after more than a year of suspension

After being suspended for over a year, the air bridge between the Isle of Youth and Havana was restored this Thursday with the first flight reconnecting Nueva Gerona with the Cuban capital, according to official sources.

The air route Havana-Gerona will have two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, announced the airline Cubana de Aviación in a statement, where it also revealed the resumption of operations to Rafael Cabrera Airport, located in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.

The first flight took place on the morning of this Thursday, and the operations correspond to a "first stage" that will last until March 27, as reported by the Islavisión telecenter.

Héctor Simón, Deputy Director of Operations, told the official press outlet that "while acknowledging the current situation, the goal is to continue and expand the service to the special municipality due to its importance for the population."

The ticket price remains at 300 CUP, “for now,” clarified Islavisión, adding that “at the request of the public, it was decided to unify the waiting list with that of Viajero,” which it described as “two opportunities and one destination.”

Meanwhile, Cubana de Aviación announced that its commercial offices will begin ticket sales for this destination "in accordance with the available capacity."

The state-owned company did not specify which aircraft will be used for the flights; however, judging by the images published by Islavisión, the plane that made the inaugural flight of the resumed connection appears to be rented.

The telecenter celebrated the resumption of flights as "another opportunity opening up for the people of Pinar," without mentioning the ongoing instability of this transportation service—a constant issue that also affects sea travel between the special municipality and the main island, causing significant inconveniences for the population that needs to make that journey.

In June 2023, Cubana de Aviación resumed flights on the Havana-Gerona route, which had been suspended four months earlier due to "unavailability of aircraft due to technical issues."

Upon resuming them, he announced that they would take place until October of that year. Then, he made four weekly flights available to travelers. More than a year later, the service is restarted, but with only two flights.

In addition to the fluctuations—or almost total absence—of air transport, the inhabitants of the Isle of Youth are continually affected by the cancellations of ferry trips, which impacts their mobility and keeps them isolated from the rest of the country.

Frequently asked questions about the resumption of flights between Havana and the Isle of Youth