Last Updated on May 16, 2020, 9:37 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Cuba is planning and preparing to reopen its airport as early as July if COVID-19 cases remain under control.
The American airline said in a statement that Cuba had extended the closure of the Cuban airspace until July 1, so the American [Airlines] would begin operating flights to the island starting on the 7th.
Although the company has sold tickets to Havana online already for the flights which would be beginning on June 8, the airline added that there was a system error and that the tickets would start selling for the flights in July.
Other airlines like Southwest and Air Canada are also selling tickets to the island on the same dates. Calls to both the airlines seeking comments were not returned immediately.
The Embassy of The United States situated in Havana, which has helped get more than 300 American and Cuban-American citizens out of Cuba after the Government had shut down flights, said that Havana had extended the closure of the international airport in Havana until at least June 30.
A tourism ministry official said that all measures would be taken to prevent the coronavirus from spreading again in the country. We cannot keep the country closed because the economy does not allow it.
The Tourism Ministry told the official media on Friday that it has no plans to open its borders until “indicated” by the Government.
“Taking the current situation of the development of this disease in Cuba and in the world into account, the Ministry of Tourism focuses on continuous improvement of the hotel and non-hotel facilities, and the development of hygiene and sanitary protocols, to deal with the resumption of the tourism activities in Cuba,“ the Ministry said in a statement.
Cuba had banned the arrival of tourists in late March and closed its airspace in April after intense pressure from civil society for the Government to isolate the country to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
