JetBlue Boosts JFK-Havana Charter Flights
JetBlue Airways has added a second charter flight connecting the U.S. and Cuba, doubling flights to the Caribbean island nation since travel restrictions have eased.
The new non-stop flights will operate every Tuesday from December 1.
1 in partnership with Cuba Travel Services, a travel provider licensed by the United States government to arrange flights to Cuba.
“We want JetBlue to be the favourite airline for travel to Cuba – more frequencies with our charter partners and our unmatched onboard experience position us perfectly to be the airline of choice”. Several other charter flights take passengers to Cuba from Florida.
After more than half a century of hostility, Washington and Havana are both redoubling efforts to normalise their relations, and United States air companies are pressuring U.S. authorities to lift flight restrictions.
Under new rules initiated by Washington in January, a month after U.S. President Barack Obama announced detente with the former Cold War adversary, USA airlines are permitted to fly to Cuba without the need for special permission from the Treasury Department.
A number of airline carriers in the US are eager to establish a connection with Cuba and increase travel between both nations. Cuban aviation regulators and airlines would have to meet a host of US technical and safety standards, which are overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Cubana de Aviacion, Cuba’s largest airline, operates a fleet of Russian-made jets flying to cities in South and Central America, Europe and Canada.
In a telephone conference call with journalists, the official, who requested anonymity, said that – if an agreement can be reached – trips to Cuba initially will still be limited to the 12 categories of Americans who may presently travel to the communist island, including people going there for cultural, educational or religious reasons, among others.