American Airlines to increase flights and travel destinations to Cuba
On Wednesday, July 13, U.S. authorities granted American Airlines’ request to resume flights to five Cuban destinations that had been suspended in 2019 due to heavy restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration on air travel between the two countries.
American Airlines will be able to start flying from Miami to Santiago de Cuba, Varadero, Santa Clara, Camagüey and Holguín, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision.
Starting in November 2022, American Airlines will operate two daily flights to Santa Clara and one daily trip to each of the other Cuban destinations, according to the airline.
After more than two years of waiting, the airline said in a statement that the flights will boost access and service between the United States and these Cuban locations outside Havana.
American will provide, it says, the best connectivity to Cuba through its Miami hub, which, in the company’s view, would serve the public interest and significantly increase competition with other U.S. airlines flying to Cuba.
American currently operates six daily flights between Miami and Havana.
Southwest Airlines and JetBlue are other airlines operating flights to Havana from the US.
Flights between the U.S. and several locations in Cuba were suspended, with the exception of Havana, in an attempt to pressure the Trump administration, which sought to deny the Cuban government revenue.
The Department of Transportation set a limit of 3,600 flights a year for charter flights to Cuba, that during President Donald Trump’s administration. Then the entity stopped allowing those flights.
Aside from Havana, the DOT banned charter flights to all other Cuban airports.
The administration of Democratic President Joe Biden modified that decision two months ago and declared then that it would relax restrictions for all those who intend to visit the socialist island.
