UNITED Airlines has cancelled all U.S. flights to a popular destination until further notice.
The route termination comes amidst calls to restrict travel to the Caribbean island by lawmakers.
Flights from Houston to Havana have been cancelled until further notice[/caption]
The change began on September 2[/caption]
The carrier’s website now shows blacked-out dates for flights from Houston, Texas, to Havana, Cuba – its only non-stop route to the country, according to The Street.
The change went into effect this month.
It is expected that the cancellation will remain in effect for the entire winter 2025-2026 season, according to documents seen by the U.S. Sun.
The flights are not expected to restart before summer 2026.
“We make regular adjustments to our flight schedule based on seasonality, demand, and other market factors,” a spokesperson told the US Sun in July.
According to Kayak data, American Airlines offers the most flights to Cuba, at 70 flights per week.
The next airlines to offer the most flights are Delta and Southwest, which both offer 14 per week.
Havana is the most popular travel spot in Cuba, with 66% of all flights arriving at the Havana Jose Marti International Airport, according to the travel company.
Southwest is also cutting one if its return flights from Havana, with the change going into effect September 4.
POLITICAL PRESSURE
In a February interview with CBS News, Republican Senator Rick Scott supported the end of all travel to the island.
“I don’t think we should have any travel to Cuba,” Scott said.
“If you want to move back to Cuba, move back to Cuba. But it doesn’t help the people of Cuba—it helps the regime oppress them.”
President Donald Trump has implemented a hard line against the country, too, enforcing a ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba.
He also revoked a Biden decision that would remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism as one of his first acts in office.
State Department advice when traveling to Cuba
The State Department has issued a series of rules Americans should follow when traveling to Cuba.
- Americans must have a tourist visa.
- Travelers should exchange US dollars for Cuban Pesos at a licensed bank or airport.
- Travelers who are carrying more than $5,000 must declare this with the Cuban authorities.
- Americans are urged to exchange local currency into US dollars before leaving the island.
- Travelers should exercise increased caution when visiting
Although tourism to Cuba is banned, licenses for certain reasons can be obtained through the government.
There are 12 causes that allow travel to the country, including journalistic activity, visiting family, and educational purposes.
In 2019, Trump had banned US airlines from flying to eight Cuban airports located outside of Havana.
Airports Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Matanzas, and Santiago de Cuba were all put on the banned list.
Only 3,600 charter flights were allowed per year, too, with private charter flights suspended altogether.
When traveling to Havana, the U.S. Embassy warned that American credit and debit cards will not work in the country.
They advise to bring cash, and exchange them for Cuba’s currency.
The agency also warns visitors of becoming involved in demonstrations as they “can draw violent responses from government forces.”
Flights will not be started again before next summer[/caption]
The cancellations come after increased crackdowns on travel to the country[/caption]
