The airline Iberojet, part of the Barceló Group, has unveiled plans for direct flights between Barcelona's Josep Tarradellas Airport in Spain and the Abel Santamaria International Airport in Santa Clara, located in the heart of Cuba. This new seasonal route will operate once a week from June 25 to September 10, 2025.
Operated by an Airbus A330-900neo, which accommodates 388 passengers, the service signifies a significant step in Iberojet's international expansion. The news was initially shared by Aeroinfo Barcelona-El Prat on their X account and later confirmed by the specialized portal Preferente.
Strengthening International Connections
With this addition, Iberojet now boasts four intercontinental routes departing from Barcelona, reinforcing its market presence. Currently, the airline offers seasonal flights to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Cancún in Mexico, alongside a regular route to Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
In June 2024, Iberojet resumed its direct flights from Lisbon to Varadero, with those operations running through October. The airline's 2023 announcement of canceling routes to Havana and Santiago de Cuba due to low demand highlighted the challenges of maintaining certain flights to the island. Nevertheless, Varadero, a key tourism hub, saw resumed activity in 2024.
Expanding Cuban Destinations
Following this, in July 2024, Iberojet expanded its Cuban connections by launching a summer route between Madrid and Santa Clara. This weekly direct flight was intended to operate only until September 2024, aiming to attract tourists to less frequented destinations like Cayo Santa María and Cienfuegos.
Iberojet's decision to restore flights from Spain to Cuba emerges amid challenging conditions. Tourism in the Caribbean nation has faced a dramatic decline recently, affected by various factors such as the pandemic, internal economic crisis, poor hotel service quality, and food shortages. These issues have all contributed to a decreased international demand for Cuba as a travel destination.