Tampa Selected For Scheduled Flights to Cuba

Tampa, FL — Tampa Bay area residents with Cuban roots or other government-approved reasons to travel to America’s island neighbor to the south will soon be able to hop on board scheduled, commercial flights to make the journey.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday announced that Tampa is one of 10 proposed American cities in its plan to allow scheduled airline service to Cuba. The other cities selected by DOT for scheduled flights to Havana are Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark and Orlando.

“Today we take another important step toward delivering on President Obama’s promise to reengage Cuba,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a media release. “Restoring regular air service holds tremendous potential to reunite Cuban American families and foster education and opportunities for American businesses of all sizes.”

• See also: Cuban-Born People Can Sail To Cuba, Carnival Announces

Tampa residents who want to hop on board a flight to Havana will have to meet a number of regulations. The 12 categories of travel allowed include family visits, journalistic activity, professional research, religious activities and educational activities, among others. To find out more, visit the U.S. Treasury online.

A total of 12 American airline companies applied for permission to run regularly scheduled passenger and cargo service to Havana. Airlines that received tentative government approval on Thursday are: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lone, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.

The American and Cuban governments have agreed to a cap of 20 round-trip daily flights. The proposal calls for nonstop service to Havana from areas of America with large Cuban-American populations, along with important air travel hub cities, DOT noted.

The agreement that opened the door for nonstop commercial flights was signed by officials from both governments on Feb. 16. It paved the way for the first scheduled air service between the two countries in more than 50 years. The arrangement allows travel under one of 12 authorized categories and provides each country the ability to fly up to 20 daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and Havana.

Just how soon scheduled flights might take to the air remains unknown; the government has said before the year is out. A request for comment from Tampa International Airport was not immediately answered.

Earlier this year, the Carnival Corporation made history when it began offering cruises to Cuba. The company’s new Fathom set sail for the first time to Cuba on May 1.

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