The United States and Cuba this week announced that they had reached an agreement to resume commercial flights between the two countries and to “establish scheduled air service” for official purposes because travel to Cuba strictly for tourism purposes is still prohibited under the law.
The agreement will “facilitate an increase in authorized travel, enhance traveler choices, and promote people-to-people links between the two countries” read a statement from U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs, Thomas Engle, and Cuban Ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez.
While details and technicalities will take some months to work out with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials cautioned, U.S. airline companies such as American Airlines already have plans to submit a U.S.-Cuba service proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation in the coming months detailing flight schedules and routes from the United States.
The agreement comes one year after the Obama Administration and the Cuban regime reached a deal to normalize diplomatic relations and while many issues such as human rights are still on the agenda, commercial flights are seen as a significant step in the bilateral relationship.
Recent Comments