The USA and Cuba sign historic air services agreement

On Tuesday 16th February, the US and Cuba signed an agreement to resume scheduled air services.

Each country is permitted to operate up to 20 round-trips daily between the US and Havana, Cuba’s capital and leading commercial centre, and up to 10 round-trips to Cuba’s other international airports. In total, US carriers are allowed to run up to 110 flights a day.

The US Department of Transportation has invited airlines to apply for allocation of passenger and cargo routes. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines are among the US carriers who have announced that they will be applying in the coming weeks.

The agreement marks the latest step in a warming of relations between the United States and Cuba, which began with the mutual reopening of national embassies in December 2014. The aim is to ease the 54 years of hostile relations and trade embargos that followed the Cold War.

(Source: Air Cargo Week)