As travel restrictions ease and Americans regain the ability to visit the Caribbean nation of Cuba, Southwest Airlines has filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking permission to operate nonstop flights from Florida.
More than 25,000 people added their support by signing the carrier’s petition. Several Florida organizations also backed the request, including the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the United States Business Leaders Network, and the Tampa Bay Partnership.
If approved, Southwest — the largest domestic carrier in the United States — would begin nonstop service to Havana (HAV) from Florida’s three busiest airports: Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Tampa (TPA) and Orlando (MCO). With DOT authorization, the airline plans to announce and market daily routes later this year. Affordable nonstop service from the U.S. to Cuba could help foster increased travel and closer ties between the two countries.