Havana's José Martí International Airport reopens to commercial passenger flights (video)

Havana's José Martí International Airport has reopened to commercial passenger flights since 15 November. After being closed for seven and a half months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the reopening comes in time for the Caribbean tourist season.

Normally, from November to March, Cuba was visited by over 4.2 million tourists. This year, the pandemic is expected to reduce the flow of visitors.

The tourism industry brings the highest income in Cuba. In crisis, severely sanctioned by the US and in the midst of a pandemic, the country is trying to return to a "new normal".

The Cuban government has said it will only be possible to travel to Havana for the time being, until the coronavirus outbreak is limited. Authorities will test all international travelers on arrival for the virus. They will also charge additional fees to cover the costs caused by the new sanitary protocols.

Cuba does not require prior testing of passengers. However, in the last week, the Government has sent to the travel agencies that each passenger, who has a planned trip to Cuba, to monitor their health.

The recommendation came after 11 Russian tourists on vacation tested positive.

The reopening of Havana airport was done with a charter flight operated from Canada. Air Canada Vacations, Air Canada's travel agency, said it would operate weekly flights to Cuba. And from December, it will operate 2 flights a week.