In 2014, the two countries struck a prisoner swap deal that freed American Alan Gross, accused of subversion, in exchange for three Cubans who had been convicted of spying.
Advertisement
US air carriers, the press release noted, are eager to “take advantage of these new Cuba opportunities”. In addition, USA carriers may apply to operate up to 10 daily round-trips between the US and nine other airports in Cuba.
Several airlines that offer flights in Central Florida have expressed broad interest in nabbing one of 20 spots for commercial air service between the United States and Havana, Cuba.
The flights could begin in autumn this year. The arrangement does not limit charter services, meaning that no DOT allocation procedures are needed and charter flights can continue as before.
A US official with direct knowledge of the agreement told CNN that the Department of Transportation could award routes and slots to specific carriers as soon as this summer.
The agreement also allows Cuban flights to the United States, however USA deputy assistant secretary of state for transportation affairs Thomas Engle told the Miami Herald that the US does “not anticipate Cuban-owned aircraft serving the United States in the near future”. United, Spirit Airlines, Southwest, and Delta all announced that they would bid for routes.
The announcement comes one day after the Obama administration approved building plans for the first United States factory in Cuba since Castro’s revolution. Tourism is still barred by law, but the number of legal reasons to go to Cuba – from organizing professional meetings to distributing information to Cubans – has grown so large and loosely enforced that the distinction from tourism has blurred significantly.
US citizens are still prohibited from traveling to Cuba as tourists.
The signing ceremony in Havana formalised a deal in December announcing the two former Cold War rivals would add scheduled commercial flights to the current charter services.
The charter services, however, could have difficulty competing against the new commercial flights.
JetBlue said Tuesday it was also interested in bidding for scheduled flights.
Advertisement
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said his company “looks forward to submitting a Cuba service proposal” in the coming weeks.
