February 16, 2016•Update: February 17, 2016
WASHINGTON
The U.S. and Cuba formally agreed Tuesday to restore regular air travel between themselves for the first time in more than 50 years, an official statement said.
The new arrangement will provide each country with the opportunity to operate up to 20 daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and the Cuban capital, Havana, according to the Transportation Department.
It will also provide both nations with the opportunity to operate up to 10 daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and each of Cuba’s nine other international airports, providing American carriers with the opportunity to operate up to a total of 110 daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and Cuba.
U.S. authorities will now invite American commercial airlines to submit applications to operate the flights with routes to be decided in the coming months.
"We are excited to announce the availability of new scheduled air service opportunities to Cuba for U.S. carriers, shippers, and the traveling public, and we will conduct this proceeding in a manner designed to maximize public benefits," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
"The department recognizes the eagerness of the U.S. carriers to take advantage of these new Cuba opportunities and intends to reach a final decision as expeditiously as possible," he added.
The first flight could take-off as early as later this year but travel to the island nation for Americans would still be limited to one of 12 designated categories, including educational purposes, humanitarian efforts and research.
The U.S. announced plans last year to resume flights to Cuba, months after the two countries began to normalize diplomatic relations and reopened embassies in each other's capitals.
