Delta Air Lines has requested authorization to drastically reduce its flights to Cuba during the winter season of 2026-2027, a measure that, if approved, would leave the airline with only one daily flight between Miami and Havana and no direct service from Atlanta.
The company submitted a request to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to temporarily deactivate 14 of the 21 weekly routes it has authorized to Cuba between October 25, 2026, and March 27, 2027, according to Aviacionline.
Currently, Delta operates 14 weekly flights from Miami to Havana and seven from Atlanta to Havana. The request includes suspending the seven flights from Atlanta and seven of the 14 assigned from Miami.
If it receives approval from the DOT, Delta would retain those frequencies to be able to use them again in the future, despite keeping them inactive for several months.
The airline has already obtained a similar exemption for the winter 2025-2026, when it suspended the Atlanta-Havana route and reduced its operations from Miami.
In March, the DOT granted it an exemption for the summer of 2026, but stipulated that Delta must resume the frequencies starting October 25.
Now the company states that “market conditions did not improve sufficiently” to make it happen.
Among the reasons cited are the deterioration of the Cuban economy, the decline in international tourism, increased restrictions for certain Cuban travelers, and issues with the availability of aviation fuel on the island.
According to Delta, the segment that maintains a relatively strong demand is travel to visit family and friends from South Florida, which would explain their intention to continue daily service from Miami.
More airlines are reducing their operations to Cuba
Delta is not the only airline that has reduced its presence in the Cuban market. American Airlines, JetBlue, and Southwest have also requested or received exemptions related to routes to Cuba suspended during 2026.
This is compounded by the withdrawal of major Canadian airlines —WestJet, Sunwing, Air Transat, and Air Canada— and Iberia's decision to keep its Madrid-Havana route suspended at least until June 2027.
The reductions coincide with a deep crisis in tourism on the island. Between January and June 2026, Cuba received 387,591 international visitors, 60.7% fewer than during the same period in 2025.
For now, Delta's new cuts have not been approved. The decision lies with the DOT, which must determine whether to allow the airline to keep those frequencies inactive without losing its rights to them.
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