The United States Department of Transportation informed local Historic City News reporters Friday that Frontier Airlines, which now originates flights to Philadelphia and Chicago from Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St Augustine, is one of six airlines who have been selected as approved carriers for flights into and out of Cuba.
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The Transportation Security Administration must still review security at Cuban airports before flights directly to the US are allowed. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger at a hearing Tuesday that he was concerned about resuming scheduled flights.
The availability of scheduled flights does not meant that tourist travel to Cuba is permitted, the DOT notes. Flights are proposed to begin in 90 days aboard 160-seat 737-800 aircraft and 144-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.
JetBlue daily between Fort Lauderdale and Camaguey, Holguin and Santa Clara beginning September 8 aboard 162-seat A320 aircraft. The company’s CFO, Jason Bewley, indicated in televised interviews that once the Havana destination receives the final okay, and the airline knows what frequency of flights they will receive, they can begin the process of allocating those flights to destinations that will first include Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The airline will use 34-seat Saab 340B Plus turboprop aircraft.
Sun Country Airlines: Weekly Sunday flights between Minneapolis and Santa Clara and weekly Saturday flights between Minneapolis and Matanzas. Until now, air travel to Cuba has been limited to charter services. Three other major US airlines-United, Delta and Alaska Air-have requested permission to fly to Havana.
“I think it’s such an awesome opportunity for them to be able to fly to Cuba, go and see their family members and see people they haven’t seen in years”, says Jasmine Labrador, a hostess at Havana Restaurant in Lake Worth.
American Airlines Group Inc and JetBlue said they will begin selling tickets this summer.
We have been entrusted to put our mission of inspiring humanity to work, Hayes said.
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Sec. Fox and Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin signed a non-legally-binding arrangement to re-establish scheduled air service between the two countries.
