U.S and Cuba sign agreement to resume commercial flights

The terms of the agreement also allow each country to operate 20 daily round-trip flights between the USA and Havana, and 10 daily round-trip flights between the US and other global airports in Cuba. USA citizens are still barred from going to Cuba as tourists, but may qualify for travel to the country under a dozen potential categories. The arrangement does not limit charter services, meaning that no DOT allocation procedures are needed and charter flights can continue as before.

Officials from the US and Cuba met in Havana today to sign an agreement allowing for commercial flights to resume between the two countries.

The United States and Cuba have agreed to restore regular air service for the first time in decades, with flights beginning again by next autumn.

Several U.S. carriers, including American Airlines and Jet Blue, immediately indicated that they will seek permits to fly into Havana and other popular Cuban cities, with dozens of daily flights expected to begin as early as this fall.

Later on Tuesday, the Treasury Department will invite U.S. airlines to submit applications for allocation of the new frequencies.

For their part, the Cuban airlines will get their own licenses with the U.S. authorities prior to the reintroduction of flights to the United States.

“The Department recognizes the eagerness of USA carriers to take advantage of these new Cuba opportunities, and intends to reach a final decision as expeditiously as possible”, it said in a statement.

Although the ban against tourism in Cuba has never been legally lifted, travelers are allowed to visit the county for other reasons, including professional meetings and distributing information to Cubans.

The coming restoration of normal commercial air service “provides for a very important sizable increase in travel between the two countries, and that reinforces the president’s objective”, Mr. Engle said.

“Assuming service is approved, United customers will benefit from United’s expanded global route network and new opportunities for leisure and business travel to Cuba”, the airline said.

In 2014, the Obama administration said it planned to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Carriers in the United States already have made it clear that they plan to apply for the new routes to and from Cuba, with JetBlue, United Airlines and American Airlines all saying they want in on the new option.

The United States announced plans to resume the flights in December, on the one-year anniversary of the start of reconciliation between Washington and Havana.

However, it could be years before Cuban carriers can fly the same route without obtaining special permission on a case-by-case basis.