TUI airline to return to Cuba in mid-October

Following the UK government's latest travel update, airline giant TUI has updated the routes it has resumed immediately and others that could begin in mid-October, such as Cuba.

Last Friday, September 17, it was announced that eight countries would be removed from the red list and that the broader travel system would receive a major overhaul. Starting October 4, the traffic light system will be simplified to the red list, meaning there will no longer be an amber list. Pre-departure testing will be scrapped for those returning to England, and vaccinations from 17 additional countries will be recognized.

Also at the end of October, fully vaccinated passengers will be able to obtain a lateral flow test instead of the currently required second-day PCR test.

The bad news is that Cuba remains on the UK's red list; the good news is that it could be removed by mid-October. According to TUI's planning, flights to the island could resume after October 9th. Only if Cuba controls its situation and its numbers and leaves the red list. Airline officials did guarantee that they will not fly to red list countries.

TUI has not been flying to red list countries, so the update will give travelers greater freedom. Wednesday, September 22Türkiye, Pakistan, the Maldives, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Oman, Bangladesh, and Kenya will be removed from the red list. And in light of all this movement, TUI has updated its travel options.

Although many routes are still canceled for now, the company has set a date for their expected restart. This is the case for October 9th, where, in addition to Cuba, other potential additions include: Aruba, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Florida in the United States, Jamaica, Mexico, and Tunisia. In other words, almost all of its "sun and beach" destinations.

As announced, Cuba announced that it would gradually and relatively normally reopen its borders to international tourism starting November 15. The return of TUI, one of the global key players in this business, would be a huge boost for the Cuban economy.