US, Cuba sign deal on commercial flights

“We’ve got solid demand”.

“It’s an opportunity to lower the cost for people traveling to Cuba in this area”, Bilbao said, referring to the Washington region.

JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan.

American operated about 1,200 charter flights to Cuba in 2015 and has offered charter service to Cuba for 25 years.

The new direct flights from the U.S.to Cuba may impact Cayman Airways. Sun Country couldn’t be reached for comment.

The flights could begin in autumn this year, with United States transportation secretary Anthony Foxx branding the latest deal a “critically important milestone in the U.S. effort to engage with Cuba”.

Of these, 20 daily flights will be allowed to and from capital Havana, with up to an additional 10 daily flights to Cuba’s nine regional airports.

Under the new deal, there can be a total of 110 daily round-trip flights between the United States and the island.

Those flights will continue, but new scheduled service should make Cuba more widely accessible.

SCHAPER: Travel restrictions will remain in place so Americans can not fly to Cuba for tourism, only for one of 12 allowed purposes, including visiting family, humanitarian projects and educational activities.

The signing of the final agreement also means US carriers can now begin the process of bidding on slots at Cuban airports, including Havana and bidding for rights over specific routes.

Several U.S. carriers say they plan to add flights to Cuba as soon as details on flight routes can be worked out, but Cuban carriers will still have to obtain their own licenses from U.S. authorities.

American Airlines’ leaders said they will, however, include Miami International Airport in the company’s application for commercial service.

United Airlines and JetBlue both welcomed the agreement.

Currently, all flights between the two countries are charter flights.

Discount carrier Spirit Airlines spokesman Paul Berry said it, too, plans to submit a proposal.

According to multiple media outlets, DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation Brandon Belford told reporters last Friday that the department expects to announced this summer which airlines will fly to Havana and from where.

Material from the Associated Press supplements this report.