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Under this week’s pact, American airlines will be able to sell tickets on their websites for flights to Cuba but must first apply for permission from regulators to fly specific routes. General tourism remains off-limits.
Americans still can’t go as tourists, but they travel under 12 special categories, including humanitarian, religious and educational trips, and “people-to-people” trips that encourage communication between USA and Cuban citizens.
Progress has been made in America’s relationship with Cuba but differences continue to persist, US President Barack Obama today said on the occasion of first anniversary of the restoration of relationship between the two countries.
In a statement yesterday, US President Barak Obama, touted the steps the US has taken to normalise relations with Cuba in the past year and called on Congress to lift its embargo. The Cuban embassy based in Washington has released a statement regarding the proposal in which it reaffirms the two states’ dedication to maintaining the highest standards of civil aviation safety by introducing safeguards to protect “from acts of unlawful interference”.
For the first time in more than half a century, the United States and Cuba are poised to resume commercial airline service between the two countiries. USA companies would export a wide range of goods including telecommunications equipment.
Not just the embargo, but the status of the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba and the resolution of property claims between the two sides dating from the Cuban revolution also loom as stumbling blocks, Mr. Smith says, “These big, complex issues have us somewhat stymied”.
Significant progress has been made towards restoring scheduled passenger flights between the Cold War foes since then, however a formal deal has yet to be reached.
“Interest in Cuba has reached levels not seen for a generation”, said JetBlue Senior VP of Airline Planning Scott Laurence.
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Obama emphasized the “important steps” that have been taken over the past year to normalize relations, including reestablishing diplomatic ties with the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana, facilitating more travel and trade with Cuba and “connecting more Americans and Cubans”. Messrs. Obama and Castro twice met face to face this year and Mr. Obama said this week he hopes to travel to Cuba before the end of his second term if conditions are right. “The U.S. and Cuba are working to finalize the details so flights can resume at some point next year”.
