United States Airlines Announce Scheduled Commercial Flights to Cuba

The first commercial flights from the United States to Cuba in more than 50 years are officially scheduled. After the government eased travel regulations earlier this year, allowing United States citizens to travel independently to Cuba for educational, cultural and other authorized purposes, visitors still needed to travel on chartered planes. The government has recently given approval for flights to Havana to begin on eight United States airlines.

JetBlue Airways Corp will launch scheduled commercial flights ahead of their competitors. Beginning August 31, JetBlue will offer three weekly flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Santa Clara Airport, with one-way fares starting at $99. The airline will upgrade this to daily flights beginning October 1 and will offer additional flights from Fort Lauderdale to Camaguey beginning November 3 and to Holguin beginning November 10.

Silver Airways is the second United States airline to operate flights from the United States to Cuba, beginning service from Fort Lauderdale to Santa Clara on September 1.

American Airlines will start service from Miami to Cienfuegos and Holguin on September 7. It will add flights to Camaguey and Santa Clara on September 9 and flights to Varadero on September 11.

 Written by Cassie Westrate, staff writer for Groups Today.