Cayman Airways to resume Havana route

Cayman Airways is set to resume non-stop flights between Grand Cayman and Cuba starting next week.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Cayman Airways announced that it had received approval from the Cuban government to resume commercial service on the Cayman/Havana route, with weekly non-stop B737-8 flights resuming on 30 Nov.

Cayman Airways Executive Vice President of Finance and Commercial Affairs Paul Tibbetts said in a statement that the airline company was “excited to resume our Grand Cayman/Havana route this month now that Cuba has reopened its borders to travellers and tourists”.

He added, “We know how important this route is for many, and we are happy to now be in a position to operate the service again.”

This December, he said, will be 20 years since Cayman Airways first started its regular service between Grand Cayman and Havana.

“So while we celebrate the resumption of service, we are also celebrating two decades of connecting Cuba to the Cayman Islands,” Tibbetts said.

The Havana flight schedule is relaunching with one flight per week initially, on Tuesdays. The first flight KX832 will depart Grand Cayman at 12:45pm and arrive in Havana at 1:50pm.

On the return, flight KX833 will depart Havana at 3:10pm and arrive on Grand Cayman at 4:15pm.

According to Cuba Travel Services, the Cuban government requires all inbound travellers to present a health passport or international COVID-19 certificate of those vaccines certified by the corresponding regulatory agencies.

Those without a health passport or international COVID-19 vaccination certification must carry a COVID-19 negative RT-PCR certification, done no more than 72 hours before travelling, in a certified laboratory, in the country of origin.

“Children under 12 years of age, regardless of their nationality, upon arrival in Cuba, will be exempt from presenting a vaccination certification or RT-PCR test,” Cuba Travel Services said.

A Declaration of Health of the Traveller (Affidavit of Health) will be requested from travellers, and International Sanitary Control staff may also take random samples for RT-PCR at the airport.

Cayman Airways has advised those looking to travel to research and secure all travel documents required for entry into any country, including COVID19-related travel documents.

It also reminded travellers that they should arrive at the airport at least three hours in advance of international flights to give “themselves enough time for parking/drop off, and for the check-in process, which can be extended due to the additional document verifications for travel during this COVID-19 pandemic”.

Seats for the Havana flights are now available for booking via www.caymanairways.com, by calling Cayman Airways Reservations on (345) 949-2311, or through local travel agent partners, the statement said.