The U.S. and Cuba, as expected, have signed an agreement to allow resumption of scheduled air service between the two countries for the first time since 1963. Service could start as early as this fall.
Under the agreement, U.S. airlines will be allowed to fly up to 20 daily roundtrips to Havana, and 10 more to each of Cuba’s other airports. The 10 to 15 daily charter flights currently operating would be permitted to continue, although over time they may lose customers to less-expensive regular flights.
Because U.S. citizens are still barred by the U.S. embargo from tourist travel, it seems likely that all those flights will actually be used at first, but there is still expected to be stiff competition among airlines who will have to bid for the rights.
Most of the charter flights are operated by American and JetBlue; both airlines have said they want to start regular flights as well, and that they are best qualified because they already have “on-the-ground” experience. The airlines have 15 days to submit proposals to the Department of Transportation, which will assign the routes.
Cuba’s airline, Cubana, is not likely to offer service to the U.S. anytime soon; U.S. customers are more likely to use U.S. carriers, and there won’t be Cuban tourists to the U.S. anytime soon. As well, there is another issue of the long U.S. embargo of Cuba: Cuban assets in the U.S. are subject to seizure to pay off U.S. businesses for assets nationalized in the 1960s. That could include Cubana’s planes if they landed in the U.S.
Photo from American Airlines: Pilot displays Cuban flag on plane at Havana
