Article from BTNews 13 JUNE 2016
Go-ahead for Cuba flights
Scheduled flights between the US and Cuba are expected to begin from September after six US carriers led by American Airlines were given the go-ahead last week by the US Department of Transportation.
The licences apply to non-Havana services only, with the DOT saying it would consider applications later this summer to serve Cuba’s capital.
The carriers involved are American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.
American has been authorised to fly twice daily between Miami and Santa Clara, Holguin and Matanzas, plus daily between Miami, Camaguey and Cienfuegos.
The flights to/from Santa Clara and Holguin will be by 160-seat B737-800s, while the three other routes will be flown with 144-seat Airbus A319s.
Frontier is planning daily A320 flights between Chicago and Santiago de Cuba and a Saturday service between O’Hare and Matanzas, with other flights linking Philadelphia with the island.
JetBlue’s licence covers daily services between Fort Lauderdale and Camaguey, Holguin and Santa Clara, also using the A320. The other airlines have all been given permission to operate similar flights.
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