Swiss Airline Edelweiss Cancels Flights to Cuba
Rerouting for the Dominican Republic

HAVANA TIMES – Gravely wounded in recent years, Cuba’s tourism industry is facing a new problem: airlines rerouting flights that they previously flew to the Island, but now prefer to land at its largest Caribbean competitor, the Dominican Republic.
That happened this week. David Collado, Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, told the press during the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) under way in Spain, that Swiss airline Edelweiss is redirecting several of its Cuban routes.
“We signed agreements with several different operators and airlines today, and tomorrow we will continue signing with Iberia, Air Europa, and Edelweiss, bringing five additional flights to the Dominican Republic, flights that had gone to Cuba and are being transferred to the Dominican Republic,” said the minister, who affirmed that his country has made a successful effort to secure new air routes and commercial partners.
“Today, Air Transat and Air Canada informed us that they will also increase the number of flights from Canada as well, Collado added.”
The rerouting of flights came a few days after Edelweiss announced the suspension of its route from Zurich to Havana, which will make its last flight on February 27, the company explained to 14ymedio.
The Swiss media outlet Twenty Minutes, which initially reported the suspension of the routes, stated that “the decision is based, on the one hand, on decrease in demand and, on the other, on the current conditions of the José Martí International Airport in Havana. An on-site review conducted by Edelweiss has revealed difficulties in guaranteeing stable and reliable long-haul operations in the long term.”
A month earlier, the German company Condor also announced the suspension of its flights to the Island for the summer season for the first time since 1990 (other than during the pandemic). The company served three destinations: Havana, Holguín, and Varadero.
Since Cuba was added to the list of states that sponsor terrorism, European citizens visiting the Island can no longer benefit from the ESTA visa waiver program for entering the United States, which, in the opinion of the Cuban Government, had damaged its destination in the European market.
The company pledged to refund the price of tickets to those who had purchased tickets after the deadline.
Travelers from Spain, previously an important market for Cuba, showed the most worrying drop: Up to November in 2024, Spain contributed 26.8% fewer travelers than in the first eleven months of 2023. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Cuban Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García Granda, arrived at Fitur stressing that his Government is working in the face of “difficult, complicated scenarios” in the tourism sector.
The promise of the Ministry of Transport to repair airports has also not been carried out. Last July, Minister of Transport Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila said that planned improvements at José Martí Airport in Havana (a new air conditioning system and facilities expansion) for terminal 3, dedicated to commercial flights, had never happened. “In reality, that airport has been at its limit for a long time. We have tried to make investments, and the Havana airport is the one that receives more than 50% of passenger arrivals,” he lamented then.
Translated by Tomas A. for Translating Cuba.
Alex Tennent, what a great idea! Turn back the clock a 125 years and make Cuba a colony while MAGA turns back the clock to the post slavery days in the USA as far as white male supremacy and civil and other rights are concerned.
It’s time for the USA to take The initiative and step in and take over Cuba install. A more people friendly government return it to sovereignty
naive comments by some people here just accent the fact that supporting Cuban tourism is supporting military tyrants whose tyranny and lack of maintenance of factories and electric plants has caused the massive collapse of all in Cuba. 2 banking systems running in parallel: 1 belongs to the military who never has to publicly account or report to the public and gas billions of dollars sourced from tourism while the 2nd banking system is public and shows massive deficit to justify massive poverty and constant blackouts. Simple plan to rescue the crisis is take the money stashed secretly in the private military accounts and merge into an economy in crisis. just my opinion
Rife corruption from Castro Inc. since 1959 down through the ranks of the “pinchos” (generals and government functionaries) has ensured the population are left extremely short.
Tourism and lucrative hard currency remittances from
Cuban exiles have also ensured the regime survives. Take out tourism, then, apart from the pinchos, opportunities for side hustles by the population are greatly diminished.
One, now past, reason the US government keeping the Blockade in place is that if it were removed then mass tourism would switch to Cuba leaving the other Caribbean islands devoid of visitors and the US footing the bill in aid.
Jose Marti Airport has indeed fallen into disrepair for many years since the Canadians built the new terminal. Under paid immigration officers are surly and unwelcoming (although the US immigration,TSA and customs take 1st prize).
Fidel Castro relied on the drugs trade and raw diamonds from Angola, as payment for sending troops to support the Angolan government and his family’s lavish lifestyle, at one time banking $10 million a week into the UBS bank, Zurich in cash as diplomatic cargo on Iberia airlines loaded on to the planes’ tail cargo hold by fork lifts after everyone had boarded.
Theft from and of baggage has become the norm there and you will be lucky not to be a victim. Customs officers are corrupt and pocketing cash on the side to allow baggage to pass. If you elect to arrive via the Sala VIP route for a fee and pay the baggage boys who act as agents to the customs officers you can bring whatever you like as gifts for your Cuban family or if you are a ‘mula’ transporting private merchandise from the US for Cuban residents and families. The Cuban exile “gusanos” in Miami profit from such trade and want the Blockade kept in place.
Cubans are their own worst enemy mainly because they have been brainwashed that the State will provide which has now collapsed. Even the “libreta” ration book that more or less guaranteed food and personal supplies has been withdrawn.
As a consequence the time is ripe for peaceful protest en masse by the population BUT the security apparatus remains efficient and people are reluctant to risk a prison term for even silent protest.
Reform has to come from within Cuba but change will not come easily as the island sinks to the level of nearby Haiti. Crime and even domestic violence, unheard of previously, has now reared its ugly face.
Cuba is a beautiful island screwed up by communist idealism.
Another way is for the usually toothless UN is to intervene before a tragic situation develops and NOT after the event. Trump could also just invade Cuba as he threatens Venezuela with and get rid of the dictators. Unlikely in the case of Cuba though as no real oil resource.
Cuba is in intensive care forever this time around and so sad to see an ingenious people suffer to survive while the World sits by watching and even gloating.from their sofas.
RIP Cuba
I think Sunwing can take over cuba then, I’d much rather go to safe Cuba, Dominican R is too close to Haiti for me thank you.
I think there is more to it, I have been to cuba over 10 times and you couldn’t ask for friendly people all I’ve spoke to there, were maybe 2 or 3 that were rude, but maybe they were having a bad day. I’m going to Cuba, and I hope sunwing takes over. Thank you
We flew from Tampa, Florida to Cuba for 17 days in November 2024. An agent (travel local) booked our rooms in private casas and arranged all transfers.
The Cuban people were warm and inviting, the itinerary was interesting, and the islands history was fascinating.
I recommend visiting the island to anyone looking to understand the how US politics have impacted the population.
Serves them right. Nobody should be travelling to Cuba while they starve their population to death and have (each and everyone of them) multi billion dollar bank accounts in Turkey, Panama and other hard to get to places. Everyone that is travelling to Cuba is enabling the Cuban government and not helping Cubans. I lived in there for 4 years and was running a pretty successful AirBnB with several well paid employees. I was almost arrested and kicked out of the country for illegal economic activities, even though it was my husband’s business and the house is his. This was during a time when the Saratoga had 25% occupancy rate and all our rooms were full and booked out for months. Now, 8 years later the place is a total shit hole and I don’t understand why everybody would even want to go there and take a chance that a balcony falls on their head. Seen that happen with my own eyes. So, I applaud the airlines to tell Cuba to get bent.
THATS what you get when you steal from tourists at the airport and from Investers with out compensation Serves You right!!!
I noticed that during my last trip to Cuba last year, the Jose Marti airport seemed dingier and dirtier. After entering the airport facility from the jet way, you are funneled through a hallway and down an escalator into a large open room. This room was so dark that I looked up to check the number of florescent lights not working. They were not just turned off, many were broken with some fixtures half-hung from ceiling. The floors were unswept. The lines leaving this room for baggage claim were formed for Cubans returning and separately for foreign visitors. Normally, the lines for Cubans is much shorter than the lines for foreigners. But I noticed that on this last trip, BOTH lines were short. Cuban airport personnel, in my opinion, have never been very friendly. Many countries throughout the world suffer from the need to come across as if they are doing the foreign visitors a favor by letting you into the country. Cuban airport staff seemed especially sour this last time. From touchdown on the tarmac up through my taxi ride to my casa particular, not one person said “Gracias”. I understand that life is tough in Cuba. But I couldn’t help but feel like they were taking it out on me.