Newark Airport Will See 1st Flight To Cuba In Decades: N.J. To Havana

NEWARK, NJ — The sign at United Airline’s Newark Airport counter read: “Announcing historic new service to Cuba.”

When United Airline’s Flight 1502 leaves the runway on Tuesday morning, it will mark the first time in half a century that a commercial air flight left Newark for the island nation.

The flight – which was scheduled to depart Newark at 10:18 a.m. and arrive in Havana at 1:53 p.m. – had a slightly inauspicious beginning when it was delayed due to reported difficulties checking in passengers.

Beginning Tuesday, United will operate daily nonstop flights to the Cuban capital from EWR, and Saturday nonstop service from Houston, the airline announced.

United will operate both services with Boeing 737 aircraft, company officials stated.

"This is something that two generations of Cuban-Americans have dreamt of, and we couldn't be more proud to be the airline that provides them with the service to their homeland," said Steve Morrissey, United's vice president of regulatory and policy. "Today's Newark to Havana flight will be the culmination of many months of hard work, planning and anticipation. It's truly a day to celebrate."

The historic Newark flight comes amid other recent restorations of service to Cuba at airports nationwide, including JetBlue’s Monday flight out of JFK Airport and Southwest’s flight out of Miami on Nov. 13.

• See related article: First Cuba-Bound Flight from NYC in 50 Years Departs JFK
• See related article: Southwest Soars with 1st Miami-Fort Lauderdale Area to Cuba Flight

Tuesday’s historic Newark flight also comes four days after the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who passed away on Friday.

• See related article: Fidel Castro, Communist Revolutionary and Longtime Cuban Ruler, Dead at 90

U.S. and Cuban officials signed a nonbinding pact in February, announcing that after months of negotiations between the two governments, scheduled flights would resume between the United States and Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years.

The agreement provides each country with the opportunity to operate up to 20 daily roundtrip flights between the United States and Havana, U.S. officials stated.

The arrangement also provides each country with the opportunity to operate up to 10 daily roundtrip flights between the United States and each of Cuba’s nine other international airports, providing U.S. carriers with the opportunity to operate up to a total of 110 daily roundtrip flights between the United States and Cuba.

In addition, the arrangement does not limit charter services, meaning that no DOT allocation procedures are needed and charter flights can continue as before, U.S. authorities stated.

• See related article: U.S., Cuba To Restore Commercial Flights: Historic Agreement Reached

Multiple airline carriers have expressed desire to offer flights from Newark to Cuba, including United Airlines, which announced in September that it will host one flight per day to the island nation from Newark.

File Photo: United Airlines

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