Background

Russian airlines, part of the Aeroflot group, resumed regular flights to Cuba on Saturday, which had been suspended as Western countries closed their airspace to Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Aeroflot reported that the first flight took off today from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow and headed for the Cuban resort of Varadero. Initially there will be two flights per week.

Flight Suspension

Russian airlines suspended flights to Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic on February 28 last year, four days after the invasion, which Russia calls a “special military operation,” Reuters reported.

Resumption of Flights

Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister for Tourism, Sports, Culture, and Communications, said in May that regular flights to Cuba would resume by July, which would avoid the airspace of “unfriendly” countries.