As President Donald Trump tightens the flow of illegal immigrants as part of his efforts to prevent their entry into the United States, the Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautics Industries and Air Services S.A. (Conviasa) plans to continue exploiting the air bridge established by the Ortega-Murillo regime since late 2021 to facilitate the transport of migrants to the U.S. southern border. According to Cuban media, on February 17, Conviasa will relaunch the Havana-Managua route with three weekly flights and official prices of nearly $2,000 per person.
In fact, during the first month of 2025, Nicaragua continued to experience illegal immigrants’ traffic, although to a lesser extent compared to previous years. It is unclear whether these individuals arrived by plane to continue their journey overland to the United States or traveled overland from Costa Rica. However, according to Honduras’ National Institute of Migration (INM), 6,027 irregular migrants entered its territory from Nicaragua in January of this year.
Despite the dismantling of 70 charter flight routes due to U.S. sanctions imposed on individuals and companies linked to the transport of migrants through Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua, the Venezuelan state-owned airline Conviasa has continued to operate flights between the Cuban capital and Managua.
Conviasa reduced flights last year
The only change Conviasa made in July of last year was to reduce its offering to three weekly flights, down from a schedule that once included up to three daily flights, seven days a week. It also canceled flights arriving in Managua from other cities on the island.
According to Cuban media outlets, including Periódico Cubano and Directorio Cubano, with the cancellation of charter flight routes, Conviasa became the only option for thousands of Cubans who continued their overland journey from Managua to Mexico, where they scheduled asylum appointments in the United States through the CBP One app. The reduction in charter flights increased demand, and since November, the airline has taken advantage of this by increasing its weekly flights to four and raising ticket prices.
Cuban media reported that demand grew so much that ticket sales were restricted on the airline’s website, and at Conviasa’s office in Havana, purchasing a ticket required securing a spot in the long lines. This forced most travelers to turn to the black market, where Havana-Managua tickets ranged between $3,000 and $5,000.
Conviasa to relaunch route on February 17
Despite the fact that since January 20, when the new U.S. President Donald Trump took office, the CBP One app—which allowed migrants arriving in Mexico to schedule an appointment to apply for asylum at the border—has been deactivated, and border controls are now stricter, with crossing potentially leading to immediate deportation, Conviasa has announced that it will relaunch its Havana-Managua route on February 17 with three weekly flights and new fares.
Round-trip ticket prices will be $1,870 for adults, $1,365 for children over the age of two, and $340 for infants under two. According to Cuban media, the marketing campaign run by agencies selling Conviasa tickets highlights that the fares include web check-in and hostel reservations in Managua. Both are mandatory requirements imposed by Nicaraguan authorities for Cuban travelers, who have enjoyed visa-free entry since November 2021.
However, online ticket sales remain disabled, and interested buyers are instructed to visit Conviasa’s offices in Havana. This situation has frustrated potential customers, who, in comments on related posts, complain that this is a strategy to force them to purchase tickets on the black market, where prices are two to three times higher than the official rate.
6,027 migrants entered Honduras in January
While Conviasa works to keep its Havana-Managua route active, Honduras’ National Institute of Migration (INM) reported that 6,027 irregular migrants entered its territory from Nicaragua in January 2025. This figure is significantly lower compared to the 38,495 who entered in January 2024 and the 18,882 who crossed the Honduran border in January 2023.
However, the number is still high compared to the 1,766 migrants who entered Honduras in January 2021, before the Ortega-Murillo regime had established the air bridge through Managua International Airport. Between 2022 and 2024, this air bridge is believed to have shortened the journey for more than 600,000 irregular migrants attempting to reach the United States.
It is unclear whether the 6,027 migrants who entered Honduras from Nicaragua in January arrived by plane or overland from Honduras. However, given the number, it is possible they were users of the air bridge, as Panama reported that only 2,158 people crossed the Darien Gap (jungle) in January.
Honduras classifies people crossing international borders without meeting legal immigration requirements or following the due process established by national and international laws as irregular migration or illegal immigrants.
