For now, American Airlines, along with Southwest Airlines, continues to operate five daily flights to the Cuban capital and also connects with four other cities on the Island.
14ymedio, Madrid, June 17, 2026 — Delta Air Lines has announced the cancellation of its direct route between Havana and Atlanta due to declining demand for travel to Cuba. The company says that “current aviation market conditions simply do not justify the volume of seats previously allocated” and has requested a temporary waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) allowing it to suspend service without losing its operating rights.
The waiver would allow the airline to preserve its flight rights, which it may reactivate at any time if conditions change. Going forward, Delta will maintain only its direct flights between Miami and Havana, operating once daily. As a result, travelers wishing to reach Cuba from other U.S. cities will be required to connect through Florida.
Delta has stated that its decision is intended to focus on Cuban-American travelers, who have recently become the most important group of visitors to the Island since international tourism collapsed. However, the airline is cutting the frequency of its flights by half. It now trails American Airlines (AA), which currently offers the greatest connectivity between the United States and Cuba.
Delta has stated that its decision is intended to focus on Cuban-American travelers, who have recently become the most important group of visitors
According to the latest data, American Airlines continues this June to operate five daily flights between Miami and Havana, as well as one daily flight to Holguín (Frank País Airport) and Santa Clara (Abel Santamaría Airport). In addition, it offers four weekly flights from Miami to Varadero (Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport) and Santiago de Cuba (Antonio Maceo Grajales Airport), though there are currently no scheduled routes to Camagüey.
The other U.S. airline that continues to fly regularly to Cuba is Southwest Airlines, which this June maintains one daily flight from Tampa to Havana.
According to the latest report from Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), covering the month of May, 4,491 Americans traveled to Cuba during that month. In addition, 14,701 Cubans living abroad visited the Island during the same period, many of whom likely arrived from the United States, although the exact number is unknown.
During the first quarter of the year, 17,034 Americans traveled to Cuba, a 56.8% decrease compared with the same period the previous year. As for Cubans living abroad, the number reached 34,233, down 42.8% from January through March 2025. That report does separate exiles by airport of origin, making it possible to determine that nearly 90% came from the United States. Specifically, by March, 10,072 Cubans had arrived from the neighboring country.
As for Cubans living abroad, the number reached 34,233, a 42.8% decrease compared with January–March 2025
The withdrawal of all Canadian and Russian airlines, along with route reductions by carriers from other countries—including Spain, the second-largest country of origin for Cubans living abroad—has meant that Americans and Cuban exiles have now become the Island’s primary tourism market.
Among the other international airlines still serving Cuba is Copa Airlines, which operates daily flights from Panama to Havana, Santa Clara, and Holguín. From Spain, Air Europa is the only airline still flying directly to Cuba, along with Air China, which operates the Beijing–Madrid–Havana route.
Also maintaining service, though on a much smaller scale, are Aeroméxico, Conviasa, Wingo, Caribbean Airlines, InterCaribbean Airways, Cayman Airways, TAAG Angola Airlines, Bahamasair, Rutaca, Aruba Airlines, Fly All Ways, Sky High, and Neos, in addition to charter flights from the United States and the Caribbean.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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