MADRID, Spain — Southwest Airlines has requested a temporary exemption from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to cut in half its flight frequency between Tampa (Florida) and Havana (Cuba).
If approved, the measure will take effect on September 4, 2025, and remain in place until March 4, 2026, reducing service from two daily flights (14 per week) to one daily flight (7 per week).
In its request, submitted on July 30, the company argued that the decision is due to fluctuations in travel demand between the two countries, which make it unsustainable to maintain the current frequency. Southwest stated that it expects to restore full service once market conditions improve.
The airline also stated that it will offer affected passengers options to be rebooked on the available flight or receive full refunds.
This reduction is part of a broader trend: other airlines, such as United Airlines, will suspend their Houston–Havana route starting September 2, due to the “sustained volatility of off-season demand.” Currently, United is the only airline flying to Cuba from outside Florida, operating a daily flight with Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Meanwhile, American Airlines and Delta have reduced or requested adjustments to their services to Cuba.
According to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), in the first half of 2025 the number of international visitors to Cuba fell by 25% compared to the same period of the previous year, and travel from the United States decreased by nearly 19.1%.
Recibe la información de CubaNet en tu celular a través de WhatsApp. Envíanos un mensaje con la palabra “CUBA” al teléfono +1 (786) 316-2072, también puedes suscribirte a nuestro boletín electrónico dando click aquí.
HAZ TU DONACIÓN AQUÍ
