A landmark decision now allows, for the first time in 50 years, scheduled commercial flights between the United States and Cuba on U.S. carriers. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that Secretary Anthony Foxx approved airlines to begin regular service to the island nation. The historic approval covers six carriers: Southwest Airlines, Silver Airways, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue and Sun Country Airlines.
Service is expected to begin this fall with departures from several U.S. gateways, including Philadelphia (PHL), Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA). “Last year, President Obama announced that it was time to ‘begin a new journey’ with the Cuban people,” Secretary Foxx said. “Today, we are delivering on his promise by re‑launching scheduled air service to Cuba after more than half a century.”
Charter flights to Cuba have been allowed for some time, but scheduled commercial service was prohibited after the U.S. economic embargo began in 1960. The newly approved routes will connect U.S. cities with 10 destinations in Cuba: Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Cayo Largo, Cayo Coco, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Manzanillo, Matanzas and Santa Clara. These destinations were included in a bilateral agreement reached in February to restore commercial airline service between the two countries.
The announcement follows a steady easing of travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. Although scheduled flights will be permitted, U.S. travelers must still meet one of the 12 authorized categories of travel to visit Cuba under U.S. regulations. These categories include family visits, official government business, educational activities, professional research, religious activities, and humanitarian projects, among others. Travelers should review current guidance to ensure their trip qualifies under one of the approved reasons.
The restoration of scheduled service is expected to increase people‑to‑people contact, support tourism and cultural exchange, and provide more convenient connections for Cuban Americans visiting family. Airlines and airports will continue to finalize schedules, ticketing and logistics in the months ahead, and travelers should watch for official announcements from carriers about routes, fares and start dates.
