Tag Archive for: flights

CUBANA DE AVIACION REOPEN FLIGHTS BETWEEN MARTINIQUE AND CUBA

HAVANA, Jan. 16th Starting next Monday, January 21, Martinique and Guadeloupe will be linked again to Cuba. Indeed, the company Cubana de Aviacion has just announced the resumption of flights between the three islands.

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JetBlue launches $99 flights to Santa Clara

havana-live_jetblueHAVANA,July 29th Low-cost airline JetBlue Airways announced Thursday that it will start its commercial flights to Cuba next month.

As long as the Cuban government approves, JetBlue will become the first U.S. commercial airline to fly to Cuba in more than half a century on Aug. 31.

JetBlue will send a plane from Fort Lauderdale Read more

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InterCaribbean Airways announces new service to Havana

havana-live-intercaribbean airwaysHAVANA, Feb. 8th InterCaribbean Airways announced the launch of a new nonstop service to Havana’s Jose Martí International Airport (HAV), from Providenciales (PLS), Turks & Caicos Islands, commencing on May 3, 2016.

With this new nonstop service to Havana from Providenciales, as well as connections from numerous cities in the Caribbean, interCaribbean makes the journey to Cuba, the fastest of any airline within the region.

Seeing the demand for services to Cuba, interCaribbean Airways launched new nonstop services and provides timed 45 minute connections to Cuba, from centrally located Turks & Caicos.

“With People to People visits from the United States, and new categories of travel for USA citizens, interCaribbean is well placed to facilitate entry to Santiago, and now to Havana, as we serve two of the most important cities of the country”, said Lyndon R. Gardiner, Chairman of interCaribbean Airways.

Based in the Turks & Caicos Islands, interCaribbean has served travelers in the Caribbean since 1991, celebrating 25 years of history this month of February 2016. The company operates a fleet of EMB 120, Twin Otter and BE99 aircraft, connecting the Turks & Caicos Islands with Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and British Virgin Islands; totaling 18 Caribbean cities.
http://aviationtribune.com/airlines/south-american-and-caribbean/item/3355-intercaribbean-airways-announces-new-service-to-havana

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White House reportedly pushing for deal allowing flights to Cuba by year’s end

Passengers board a jet bound for Miami at the Havana Jose Marti International Airport last month. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG NEWS

Passengers board a jet bound for Miami at the Havana Jose Marti International Airport last month. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG NEWS

HAVANA, August 18 The Obama administration reportedly is working to reach a deal with Cuba that would allow regularly scheduled commercial flights between the two countries by the end of this year.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a possible agreement would allow airlines to establish service between the U.S. and Cuba as soon as this December. Administration officials tell the Journal that one aim of completing an agreement would be to make Obama’s thaw toward Cuba so much an extent of U.S. policy that it would be impossible for his successor to reverse.

If agreed to, the deal would constitute the most prominent exception to the five-decade-old congressional ban on Americans traveling to Cuba. Only Congress can fully repeal the travel and trade embargoes levied against Cuba in the 1960s after Fidel Castro took power. However, the president can make exceptions to them.
Late last year, for example, President Obama allowed Americans to use credit and debit cards in Cuba, which would have previously violated a rule against unlicensed monetary transactions in Cuba.

Currently, American citizens are only allowed to visit Cuba for specific purposes, such as business trips, family visits, or so-called “people-to-people” cultural exchanges, the last of which requires traveling as part of a tour group. Americans who are authorized to visit the island take charter flights. The Journal reports that Washington and Havana are working toward an arrangement that would allow authorized travelers to book through airline or travel websites.

Obama’s move to normalize relations with the communist country has been heavily criticized by the contenders for the Republican nomination, most notably Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whose parents are from Cuba.

“In the eyes of Barack Obama … the Cuban people are suffering because not enough American tourists visit the country, when the truth is the Cuban people are suffering because they live in a tyrannical dictatorship,” Rubio told an audience in New York last week as the U.S. reopened its embassy in Cuba 54 years after diplomatic relations were severed.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/18/white-house-reportedly-pushing-for-deal-allowing-flights-to-cuba-by-year-end/

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Flights from Houston to Cuba announced

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HAVANA,  July  17  Miami-based HavanaAir will begin weekly direct flights from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Havana, Cuba, in August.

The private airline will utilize Miami-based Eastern Air Lines Group Inc.’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft for the flights, which will operate on Wednesdays.

The airline currently operates two flights a day to Havana from Miami, with additional flights to Santa Clara and Camaguey, Cuba.

The Houston Airport System is still working with the airline on final details, said Bill Begley, spokesman for HAS.
President Obama restored diplomatic relations with Cuba earlier this year. Americans authorized to travel to Cuba for various reasons — such as family visits, official U.S. government business, journalism, education and more — do not need to apply for special licenses. However, general tourism is still not allowed, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website.

The Houston Airport System has been eager to fly to Cuba for months.

In May, Mario Diaz, director of the Houston Airport System, told HBJ that the airports were in discussions with at least three carriers to fly to Cuba.

In January, Chicago-based United Airlines spoke of its eagerness to offer routes from Houston, but flights depended on the government’s decision on general travel.

Embassies are scheduled to open in Cuba this month, but the travel and trade embargo are likely to stay in place.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2015/07/16/flights-from-houston-to-cuba-announced.html

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First JetBlue direct flight from New York to Cuba left friday

havana-live-JetBlue_CloudsHAVANA,  July  12  On Friday, JetBlue according to protocol begun its guide flying from John F Kennedy International Airport in New York to Cuba becoming the initial chief hauler inside the United states.S. to create the tangle his legs because of the fact that limitation on travelling to Cuba were really treated effectively through Obama Administration much earlier in 2015.

Many of these on JetBlue’s first aviation seemed like these were generating background.

The air service provider, operating out of Queens, New York introduced the new commer was featuring once each week last minute in May, however the first the gate doesn’t get out of up to the point Friday.
The the gate gave up the New York airfield at noontime on the way to Jose Marti International Airport in Havana.

Cuba basic Carlos Infante was at on-board the opening airplane on Friday. The inhabitant of Brooklyn said preceding to boarding that it was also one of the things that will be remarked for a number of years.

http://www.vocalrepublic.com/first-jetblue-direct-flight-from-new-york-to-cuba-left-friday/18956/

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Orlando airport’s new charter service to Cuba took off Wednesday

Orlando International Airport, monorailHAVANA, July 7  When Elisabeth Rodriguez and her mom landed in Cuba on Wednesday, was the first time in a year seeing most of her extended family.

The 16-year-old was one of about 50 people to board one of the first flights to the island nation from the Orlando International Airport.

“It’s so good,” said Rodriguez. “Now you don’t have to travel 4 hours to get to Miami.”

Until Orlando’s flight opened, Rodriguez and her family would make the long haul to Miami to catch a flight to visit family there.

A new charter service provided by Island Travel and Tours kicked off Wednesday with a 2:15 p.m. flight to Havana.

The new service offers twice weekly flights between Orlando and Cuba, including a returning flight Sunday afternoon.

Bill Hauf, president of Island Travel and Tours, said the first few flights will only have a few passengers, but he expects demand to increase once the service feels routine.

“There’s so much enthusiasm,” said Hauf, who was also taking the flight down. “So much excitement.”

Hauf said he expects most of Sunday’s flight back to Orlando to be passengers who flew down Wednesday.

While the company initially filed plans and were approved for a year of charter service to Cuba, Hauf said he’s already planning to extend that contract.

“We’re already getting reservations for next year,” he said.

Travel to Cuba, located a 90-minute nonstop flight away, only became an option after President Barack Obama lifted travel restrictions to the country.

Those planning to visit are required to fit into 12 defined categories, including journalism, education and humanitarian efforts.

Hauf’s service was the first to announce travel from Orlando, but wasn’t the first company to fly there.

After a sudden and quick request for approval, Miami-based Gulfstream Air Charters, another tour operator, had the first flight to Havana on June 10.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-orlando-new-cuba-flights-20150708-story.html

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Havana Air Key West to Cuba might add third weekly flight

havana-live-view-havana-airHAVANA,  July 1 (Miami Herold)   Air service between the Southernmost City and Cuba is off to a strong start after restarting in March and more flights might be added.

Havana Air Chief Executive Officer David Nesslein said this week that the eventual goal is to provide daily service between Key West International Airport and Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. The Miami-based company is a government-licensed charter operator behind the flights.

“In most cases, we’ve been full,” Nesslein said.

After adding a Monday morning flight to Havana about three weeks ago, Havana Air now leaves Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m. from Key West to Havana. The 90-mile flight, which lasts about 45 minutes, costs $525 roundtrip. Return flights are Mondays and Fridays.

Havana Air uses commercial carrier Air Key West and its nine-passenger BN-2T Turbine Islander. Miami travel company Mambi International Group sells tickets out of its North Roosevelt Boulevard office, which opened in December

Air Key West President Robert Valle said the addition of the Monday flight was partially due to customers not wanting to stay a whole week in Cuba. Havana Air may add a Wednesday flight if demand continues.

“It just kind of depends on the [passenger] loads,” Nesslein said. “We like Key West; I think it’s a great market for us.”

Havana Air is also working on letting customers buy tickets online, like they would for any other commercial flight. Nesslein said that may happen later this year.

The steady influx of planes to the communist country from Key West comes after last December’s announcement by President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro of eased travel restrictions on U.S. residents going to Cuba following half a century of not allowing Americans to travel there.

Those who want to travel to Cuba no longer need a specific license as long as they meet criteria under one of 12 federal categories, including family visits, humanitarian projects and religious activities.

Traveling there for tourism remains banned but the government really has to way to enforce that since travelers could maintain they went to Cuba under one of the 12 reasons allowed.

Designating Key West International Airport as an international point of entry from the U.S. began in 2009 with a request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A three-phase, $2.25 million project reclassification process ensued, with federal officials signing off on the upgrades in October 2011.

Last year, another operator tried Key West to Cuba flights but the venture last only about six weeks.

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