Colombian airline Avianca postpones flight routes to communist Cuba due to "operational issues"

Colombian commercial airline carrier, Avianca, which had scheduled the return of its flights to Cuba for July of this year, reported this weekend that the start of the Bogotá-Havana route will be postponed “due to operational issues,” according to a statement released by the South American company.

In the statement shared with the media in the region, the aeronautical company does not specify a new start date for this route, which was active for eight continuous years to the Caribbean destination.

Likewise, Avianca recommended customers who had already purchased tickets request the corresponding refund through its website www.avianca.com, the airline's mobile application or directly with their travel agencies.

“This delay has generated some uncertainty among passengers. The airline has not specified a new start date for this route, which underlines the importance of resolving operational issues before offering reliable service,” according to a June 14 report published by the Aviation Club Center,

Avianca also asked customers to keep their contact information updated when booking to ensure effective communication in case of future changes or updates on the status of flights to Cuba.

It was last April when the announcement came to light that Avianca would resume its flights to the island after four years without operating the route that connects Havana with the Colombian capital.

At the beginning of May, Avianca maintained its flights to Cuba with six weekly frequencies and more than 2,100 seats available at that time, according to its website. The connections would be carried out by A320 aircraft with capacity for 180 travelers.

“After four years, we are happy to return to Cuba to provide our clients with an additional destination in the Caribbean and also to connect Cubans with 25 countries and 75 destinations that are part of our network,” says a statement from the page. airline official.

The Avianca flight between El Dorado, in Bogotá, and the José Martí International Airport, in Havana, lasts just over 3 hours and the price of a one-way ticket was between 300 and 400 dollars, according to the site. at that moment.

But now they are not available.

Avianca began flying to Cuba in 2012, with two weekly flights. Eight years later, on January 15, 2020, the airline announced the suspension of its operations.

The announcement comes a few weeks after Aerolíneas Argentinas announced its intentions to stop its operations to the island's capital. BoA, the Bolivian airline that flies to Cuba since October 2023, also notified the end of its flights to that country, but a few days later assured that it would continue traveling to the island until the end of the year.