Updates For United States Airline Services To Cuba- Decreasing By 20%
/The Sun (26 August 2025): American issues defiant pledge as major airlines to cut flights to Caribbean hotspot in days. One airline has ended its sole US route to the Caribbean getaway. AMERICAN Airlines execs appear to have sent a defiant message when it comes to flights to a Caribbean paradise - while other major carriers are set to make sweeping changes to schedules. United and Southwest officials have taken steps to cut certain services and travelers will be impacted in days.
Travelers who fly with United are unable to book flights linking Houston, Texas, and Havana, Cuba, after September 1. That’s because United chiefs have decided to suspend the route. In July, United officials confirmed to the U.S. Sun that the decision was made due to demand. But, United wasn’t the only airline to shake-up their schedules.
Chiefs at Southwest have decided to cut one of its daily return services that link Havana and Tampa, Florida. This change will come into force on September 4. Currently, the low-cost carrier offers two return services between the cities. But, American Airlines appears to have taken a different stance. Papers, which have been seen by The U.S. Sun and filed to the Department of Transportation, reveal American Airlines has no plans to exit the Cuban market. The carrier made a pledge as it asked DOT chiefs to move a temporary dormancy waiver to cover the winter season. In the documents, airline officials alluded to challenges linked to passenger demand.
United Airlines Suspends Houston to Havana Flights: What Travelers Need to Know. They explained the waiver would help the carrier deploy aircraft more efficiently. If granted, a number of American Airlines services would be impacted. It would impact three of the carrier’s eight daily Miami-Havana round-trips that are scheduled for Mondays, Thursday, Fridays and Sundays. And, four of the carrier’s eight daily round-trips between the two cities on Tuesday and Wednesdays would be affected.
Daily round-trips between Miami and Santiago De Cuba would also be impacted if the waiver comes into force. The waiver request includes one of the carrier’s two round-trips between Miami and Santa Clara. American officials say they would look to restart services should it be in the carrier's interests. Routes would only be suspended until March 28, 2026, according to the documents. Delta is the other airline that offers services between the US and Cuba. Last month, a source told The U.S. Sun airline bosses look at the market when making decisions on routes. Delta has a twice-daily year round service between Miami and Havana.
Aviaciononline (26 August 2025): During September 2025, the scheduled air connection between the United States and Cuba registers a 20% decrease compared to August—an expected decline considering the end of the summer period—with three U.S. airlines operating a total of 91 weekly flights. This offer represents a seat capacity of 13,965 per week to connect both countries. However, in the year-over-year comparison between September 2025 and September 2024, a 21% fall in the number of frequencies and a 16.1% decrease in seat supply is also recorded.
Detailed Operations Analysis
The air market between the two countries is distributed as follows:
Breakdown by airline (weekly flights and seats per direction):
American Airlines: 70 flights and 10,500 seats.
Delta Air Lines: 14 flights and 2,240 seats.
Southwest Airlines: 7 flights and 1,225 seats.
Details of operated routes:
American Airlines: 70 flights and 10,500 seats.
Delta Air Lines: 14 flights and 2,240 seats.
Southwest Airlines: 7 flights and 1,225 seats.
Details of operated routes:
American Airlines: Camagüey (CMW) - Miami (MIA): 7 flights and 896 seats. Havana (HAV) - Miami (MIA): 39 flights and 6,224 seats. Holguín (HOG) - Miami (MIA): 7 flights and 896 seats. Santa Clara (SNU) - Miami (MIA): 7 flights and 1,204 seats. Santiago de Cuba (SCU) - Miami (MIA): 5 flights and 640 seats. Varadero (VRA) - Miami (MIA): 5 flights and 640 seats.
Delta Air Lines: Havana (HAV) - Miami (MIA): 14 flights and 2,240 seats.
Southwest Airlines: Havana (HAV) - Tampa (TPA): 7 flights and 1,225 seats.
In the consolidated total for the month, American Airlines will have a total (round-trip) offering of 89,664 seats, Delta Air Lines will have 19,200 seats, and Southwest Airlines will have 11,550 seats.
