Rossiya Airlines, a subsidiary of Russia’s Aeroflot group, resumed its regular flights to Cuba on July 1. The move comes after flight suspensions to various Caribbean destinations, including Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, due to Western airspace restrictions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The inaugural flight of the bi-weekly service took off for the Cuban resort of Varadero from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Saturday, as confirmed by Aeroflot. The decision aligns with an announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko in May, stating that flights to Cuba bypassing «unfriendly» countries’ airspace were expected to resume by July.
Despite the political situation between Russia and Ukraine, which resulted in numerous cancelled routes, the Russian tourism market remained active. As alternative transit points, mainly Turkey and Serbia were used. According to the Russian tourism agency, Cuba received 38,000 Russian tourists in the first quarter of 2023.
Flights from Cuba to Russia, operated by Rossiya’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, are scheduled to depart at 09:05 on Thursdays and Saturdays, providing 1,828 seats per week. The airliner plans to increase the frequency from two to three weekly flights beginning September 5th.
Moreover, Aeroflot/Rossiya isn’t the only Russian airline operating in Cuba. Nordwind Airlines also offers weekly flights from Moscow to Varadero and Cayo Coco. Together, Aeroflot/Rossiya and Nordwind will provide 5,426 seats per week to Cuba in 2023.
Despite airspace issues leading to increased flight times and airfares, Cuba has grown in popularity among Russian tourists, primarily due to convenient payment options, including the acceptance of rubles and Russian payment systems.
