US Airlines to Start Scheduled Flights to Cuba
Source: Associated Press
HAVANA Jun 10, 2016, 1:58 PM ET
Six airlines won permission Friday to resume scheduled commercial air service from the U.S. to Cuba for the first time in more than five decades, another milestone in President Barack Obama's campaign to normalize relations between Cold War foes.
The airlines American, Frontier, JetBlue, Silver Airways, Southwest and Sun Country were approved by the Department of Transportation for a total of 155 roundtrip flights per week. They'll fly from five U.S. cities to nine cities in Cuba other than Havana.
U.S. law still prohibits tourist travel to Cuba, but a dozen other categories of travel are permitted, including family visits, official business, journalist visits, professional meetings and educational and religious activities. The Obama administration has eased rules to the point where travelers are now free to design their own "people-to-people" cultural exchanges with little oversight.
Most of the airline service is expected to begin this fall and early winter, the department said.
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory/us-airlines-start-scheduled-flights-cuba-39758382
IronLionZion
(45,433 posts)peace is good for most everyone. I never saw much benefit from having a hostile relationship with a neighboring country and to see families kept apart.
OnDoutside
(19,956 posts)While some American Cubans are pissed off, the majority will be delighted to visit, and you'd imagine that thanks will be reflected at the ballot box.
It will hopefully eat into American Cuban Republican support. If this was a Republican President, there is no way diplomatic relations would have been re-opened.
IronLionZion
(45,433 posts)regular Cuban people are wonderful and have been punished enough with sanctions and restrictions. The hostility helped Castro stay in power by having this foreign enemy to blame and unite against. His regime won't last long once we have travel and trade.
OnDoutside
(19,956 posts)Deuce
(959 posts)OnDoutside
(19,956 posts)IronLionZion
(45,433 posts)by giving money to workers involved in food and hotels and taxis and tour guides and completely ruining the charming culture of poor people by making them less poor. As proud liberals, we need to preserve people's poorness.
Jury: I really want the Cuban people to get the best help that America has, our tourist dollars.
47of74
(18,470 posts)SpankMe
(2,957 posts)They are the ones who need to do the final changes to allow freer travel - including tourist travel - and the lifting of other sanctions.
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)she raises her arm and waves it around and back and forth until it hurts and she has to help hold it up with her other hand....
a la izquierda
(11,791 posts)I cannot wait!