US, Cuba signed to resume commercial flights

Delta’s outgoing CEO Richard Anderson previous year said Delta would resume flights to Cuba and launch scheduled service when allowed, but that it wouldn’t be a “game-changer”.

Despite the new agreement, tourism to Cuba remains barred by United States law.

“So we do not anticipate Cuban-owned aircraft serving the U.S.in the near future”, he said. US carriers would then have to strike deals with Cuban aviation officials, a process the USA hopes will be complete by the fall.

United said it plans to offer service between “some of its global gateways” and Havana. 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. American said it’s also considering applying to serve Cuba from other hubs.

The airlines have 15 days, until March 2, to bid on routes. American is the premier carrier to the Caribbean and has been the leader in providing service from the U.S.to Cuba for 25 years.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Cuban Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed the deal in a ceremony at Havana’s Hotel Nacional.

The US and Cuba “will conduct this proceeding in a manner created to maximise public benefits”, said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox.

DAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE: Decades of Cold War policies made Cuba one destination that’s off-limits to USA commercial airlines.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry watches the raising of the American flag at the newly opened U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba on August 14, 2015.

Almost 160,000 USA leisure travelers flew to Cuba previous year, along with hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans visiting family, mostly on expensive, frequently chaotic charter flights out of Florida.

The agreement signals a further thawing in relations between the two nations and could lead to cheaper flights and an increase in USA travellers to Cuba.

In a report by the Chicago Business Journal, American Airlines has the advantage over United and JetBlue because one of its major hubs is located at the Miami International Airport.

Under the agreement, each country can authorize up to 20 daily commercial roundtrip flights between the USA and Havana. It now does not fly charters to Cuba.

For the routes to areas outside Havana, Mr. Belford said, the United States could decide to award those flights before the summer because there likely won’t be as much competition. “I mean, so many people are interested about Cuba”, travel agent Scott Lara said.