The US company United Airlines announced this Wednesday that it is working to resume its commercial flights with Cuba by the end of 2022, two and a half years after suspending them due to the pandemic.
The airline, based in Chicago, told the news agency Reuters that has been working on the reactivation of its flights with Havana for several months, but is facing contract setbacks, for which it has requested a 30-day extension from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to finalize the process by the deadline established by the US regulator for next October 31.
“United needs to do significant work, including renegotiating multiple contracts with service providers that have expired, building the necessary infrastructure at Havana Airport’s Terminal 3, where United is being relocated,” he said.
Before paralyzing its operations in March 2020, when countries closed their airspace due to coronavirus restrictions, United had seven weekly flights to Havana from its hubs in Houston and Newark.
“United needs to do significant work, including renegotiating multiple contracts with service providers that have expired”
The airlines resumed negotiations to return to operate in Cuba after, last June, the Department of Transportation lifted the restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump to prohibit commercial flights by US companies to small airports outside of Havana.
The USDOT agreed on Monday to expand US flights by granting one to JetBlue and 13 to American Airlines, although the latter requested authorization to operate two more daily frequencies, one morning and one evening, on the route between Miami and Havana, which would have meant an increase of 14 trips per week.
In this way, American Airlines will add 13 additional routes in December to the seven that it already flies from Miami to the Cuban capital, while JetBlue, a low-cost airline, will have four from the Fort Lauderdale airport.
Even before the Joe Biden Administration lifted the air restrictions, American Airlines requested permits to expand its operations to the Island and, in July, obtained authorization to fly from November to Santa Clara, Holguín, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba. .
The airline has indicated that the flights would improve “service and access between the United States and these points outside of Havana, after more than two years during which such operations were suspended.”
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