Cuba agreement allows 20 daily Miami-Havana flights

The United States and Cuba have signed a deal to restore commercial flights for the first time in more than five decades.

Southwest, which also operates at Orlando International, is evaluating how Tuesday’s agreement fits into the company’s overall growth plan, a spokesman said.

There can be little doubt that the pace of the thaw between the United States and Cuba is quickening in President Obama’s a year ago in office. Mr Obama hopes to visit Havana by the end of March. “It represents a critically important milestone in the United States effort to engage with Cuba”.

Cuba is still under U.S. economic sanctions which have inflicted over $121 billion worth of damages on its economy, according to Havana.

“Every indication I have in the conversations we’ve had today is that the Cubans want to move as fast as we’re able to move”, Foxx said. Decisions will be sent to airlines March 14 and airlines must reply to those by March 21. That’s a pretty big step. Castro subsequently nationalized millions of dollars worth of USA corporate and private property in Cuba. The arrangement also allows 10 daily round-trips to nine other worldwide airports in Cuba.

“Our focus cities in NY and Florida are natural gateways to Havana and other Cuban destinations”, said Doug McGraw, a JetBlue spokesman.

US transportation chief Anthony Foxx and his Cuban counterpart, Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez, agreed to the pact at a ceremony in Havana. Those flights will continue, but new scheduled service should make Cuba more widely accessible.

Once the deal is signed, USA authorities will immediately invite American airlines to submit applications to operate the flights.

TravelPulse said the “real windfall” for airlines will come after Congress rescinds the ban on regular tourism to Cuba. Twenty of those daily will be from US cities to Havana with the rest to various airports throughout the island.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said its Latin America gateway hub at Miami International Airport will be included in its application for service to Cuba. “It would be great for us”, Lara said. Commercial airlines will allow anyone to simply check an online box to give their reason for a visit: “organizing a professional meeting” or “distributing information to Cubans” are both considered valid.