American Airlines request to resume flights in Cuba approved

The U.S Transportation Department has approved a request by American Airlines to resume flights to 5 destinations in Cuba. 

Back to Cuba

This Wednesday, the U.S Transportation Department (USDOT) approved a request made by major US-based carrier American Airlines to resume five services to Cuba. 

The five destinations in question were temporarily discontinued by American Airlines in 2019 when the Trump Administration banned all U.S flights to all Cuban cities apart from Havana. 

This decision was made by the Trump Administration in October 2019 as an attempt to limit the Havanan government’s ability to repress Cubans and support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. While the decision was shrouded in foreign policy, the period in which the ban was in place made it significantly harder for Cuban-Americans to visit their families. 

On 1 June, the Biden Administration revoked the ban on flights to Cuba, allowing U.S airlines to reinstate flights to Cuban airports other than Havana in the coming months. 

The USDOT issued the order at the request of U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who commented that lifting the ban was “in support of the Cuban people, and the foreign policy interests of the United States.

Now, American Airlines can resume its flights from Miami International Airport to Santa Clara, Holguin, Camaguey, Varadero, and Santiago de Cuba. 

The reinstated services will start officially in early November, according to the Texas-based carrier. Two flights a day will run to Santa Clara while the rest of the Cuban bases will be served by one flight a day. 

JetBlue and Southwest Airlines are other U.S carriers that fly to Cuba – specifically Havana. 

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