American Airlines to begin offering charter flights from L.A. to Havana

HAVANA, August 18  American Airlines announced Tuesday that it will offer charter flights from Los Angeles to Havana starting in December. It will be the first flight from the West Coast to Cuba since Cuba and the United States restored diplomatic relations last month.

The new charter service will be sold by Cuba Travel Services and operate on Saturdays, starting Dec. 12. American will use a Boeing 737 for the flights, which will leave from Los Angeles International Airport and arrive at José Martí International Airport. American didn’t disclose the flight times.

“This new charter flight shows how we continue to expand our reach by offering new routes and services our customers want,” Art Torno, American Airline’s Mexico, Caribbean and Latin America senior vice president said in a statement.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration is negotiating with Cuba to allow scheduled commercial flights between the two countries by year’s end, despite a travel ban imposed by Congress.