Aeroflot to add new aircraft to Moscow-Havana route

In light of the strengthening of relations between Cuba and Russia, as well as the announced increase in the arrival of Russian tourists to Cuba, Aeroflot, the Eurasian country's main airline, plans to include several Airbus A350s starting in September 2020 to connect Moscow with Havana.

The routes between both capitals will have a weekly frequency of five days, except only the luneand on Wednesdays according to information released by Simply Flight.

The largest airline in the Russian Federation will continue to connect Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport with Jose Marti International Airport from the Cuban capital, a destination that is currently served by older ships.

Thus, the largest of the Antilles, which has seen a significant increase in Russian tourists in recent years, is among the destinations chosen by Aeroflot to introduce the 14 new A350 aircraft ordered by the French company Airbus.

In fact, some of the Aeroflot operating times have already been announced (the time shown is local time).

• (flight SU150) Departing Moscow at 7:10 AM, arriving in Havana at 12:40 PM on the same day.
• (flight SU151) Leaving Havana at 2:45 PM, arriving in Russia at 9:00 AM the following day.

Likewise, connections from the Cuban capital with stops in Moscow, New York, New Delhi, India, Beijing, China, and Seoul, South Korea, will be covered.

Although Aeroflot had expressed its desire to introduce the new A350s in 2018, its unexpected financial results delayed the delivery date to 2020. Currently, only a simulation of this aircraft is available for the Flight Simulation game.

Just a few days ago, the opening of a route between Moscow and the resort of Varadero was announced, via Royal Flight, due to the unusual tourist interest among Russians in the island.

For its part, the Cuban Ministry of Tourism is taking advantage of these circumstances and seeking to attract new Russian clients, who have also expressed interest in the Dominican tourist destination.

Aeroflot is one of the oldest airlines in the world, having been founded in 1923 as a state-owned enterprise, later becoming the official airline of the Soviet Union and the largest in the world.

However, after the collapse of the USSR, it became a semi-private company, with the majority of shares held by the Russian government, and more than 30 employees.

The addition of new aircraft is part of a comprehensive fleet modernization program, a rebranding, and the addition of new destinations.

Without a doubt, this good news could be beneficial for the growing number of Cuban citizens who visit Moscow for shopping, taking advantage of the visa exemption. Just a few weeks ago, the British news website BBC Mundo reported on Russian plans to increase the number of citizens from other countries who want to work and live in Russia.

Thousands of Cubans travel to Moscow annually, and would welcome a foreseeable reduction in travel costs, based on the inclusion of a greater number of aircraft between the two countries.

Throughout its history, Aeroflot has had a total of 127 accidents, resulting in 687 fatalities. However, since 1994, these accidents have decreased significantly; the ongoing modernization is undoubtedly aimed at making the company more reliable.

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