JetBlue flight 387 landed at Santa Clara to a water cannon salute just before 11:00 local time, with the airline’s chief executive Robin Hayes and U.S. transportation secretary Anthony Foxx among the 150 passengers on board.
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After escalating tensions during the Cold War, no USA commercial flights were allowed to what had been one of the most popular American tourism destinations.
Crew members at the Santa Clara Abel Santamaría International Airport in Cuba welcome JetBlue Flight 387, the first commercial flight to Cuba from the U.S.in more than 50 years. The arrival of the flight opens a new era of U.S. -Cuba travel with about 30.
“Seeing the American airlines landing routinely around the island will drive a sense of openness, integration and normality”.
The Department’s principal objective in making its selections was to maximize public benefits, including choosing airlines that offered and could maintain the best service between the USA and Havana.
They are obligated to begin flights within 90 days – right after Thanksgiving – but airlines may begin earlier.
Airlines have also been given the opportunity to operate 10 daily roundtrip flights between the USA and Cuba’s nine other worldwide airports.
DOT awarded American four daily round-trips from Miami and one from Charlotte, Delta got dailies from New York JFK, Atlanta and Miami, and United received a once daily from Newark and a Saturday flight from Houston.
JetBlue made history yesterday when it touched down in Santa Clara, Cuba, becoming the first USA airline to operate a commercial flight between the two countries in more 50 years.
Despite the travel limitations, USA airlines have rushed to start flights – adding a lot of capacity and setting themselves up to lose money on the trips in the short run, said industry consultant Robert Mann.
Services on regional carrier Silver Airways and American Airlines Group Inc from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area that is home to a large Cuban-American population, to Cuba’s outlying provinces will be the next to start, in September.
“This is one of the most visible examples of the president’s activities to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, ” Foxx said.
The resumption of flights marks another significant milestone in the continued efforts to improve relations between the two countries.
It is not clear which airlines will be flying directly to Havana, the most sought-after destination for American visitors.
American Airlines, already offering the lion’s share of U.S. charter flights to Cuba, will begin scheduled service on 7 September with flights from Miami to Cienfuegos and Holguin.
For Americans, the burdensome process of traveling to Cuba is, suddenly, nearly seamless. So you can expect more flights in the future.
On February 16, 2016, Secretary Foxx signed an arrangement with the Cuban government opening the way for scheduled air service between the two countries to resume after more than 50 years.
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The last time Americans flew directly to Cuba, planes were operated by propellers, said Marty St. George, JetBlue’s Executive Vice President of Commercial and Planning Marty St. George. Per Politico, travel to Cuba will be possible on eight different airlines for “less than the price of many domestic tickets”.
