A water pipe break forced the temporary closure of Terminal 3 at the José Martí International Airport in Havana on Monday night, according to an official statement released by the institution on .
The incident affected the passenger check-in area for Immigration, which forced the urgent relocation of operations for several airlines, including Conviasa, Copa Airlines, and Neos, to Terminal 2.
The disruptions mainly affected flights scheduled for Sunday night and Monday morning. Airport authorities indicated that intensive efforts were made to resolve the issue, and that operations at Terminal 3 were restored by 3:00 a.m. on Monday.
"The José Martí International Airport apologizes for the inconvenience caused and appreciates the understanding of its passengers," stated the announcement released by the José Martí International Airport.
The official information did not detail the extent of the damages or whether there were impacts in other areas of the terminal. However, unconfirmed reports circulated by the independent channel “” also mentioned a supposed collapse of the air conditioning system, in addition to the hydraulic failure. This report has not been verified by official sources.
Terminal 3 of the capital's airport is the main gateway for air entry and exit in the country, handling a high volume of international flights and immigration services. Therefore, any incident that disrupts its operation poses a significant impact on passengers and airlines.
So far, no personal injuries have been reported, and there have been no additional changes to the flight schedule. Authorities have not clarified whether an investigation will be conducted into the causes of the facility failure.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the departure location of their flights in case of any new contingencies.
Terminal 3 of José Martí Airport, under pressure
This new incident adds to a series of structural and operational issues reported in recent months at Terminal 3 of José Martí International Airport, the busiest in the country.
On September 3rd, a sudden power outage left hundreds of passengers in the dark for several minutes in the middle of the boarding area, amid complaints about the lack of information and minimal conditions to wait for their flights.
The authorities did not provide technical details regarding the cause of the power outage, which created uncertainty among users.
Weeks earlier, on August 14, a video recorded by passengers went viral, showcasing water leaking from the ceiling of Terminal 3 during a heavy rain. The leak, captured while travelers were waiting in line to board, sparked criticism over the deterioration of the infrastructure at a key facility for international tourism.
Additionally, on September 10, CiberCuba published a report confirming that Cuban airports, including Havana's, continued operating using alternative means due to a shortage of spare parts and difficulties in maintaining basic technical systems such as air conditioning, lighting, and security scanners.
These facts highlight the critical state of Cuba's airport infrastructure, which suffers from a lack of maintenance, resources, and emergency response capacity, causing repeated inconveniences for both domestic and foreign passengers.
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