Six airlines won permission Friday to resume scheduled commercial air service from the U.S. to Cuba for the first time in more than five decades.
The airlines include American, Frontier, JetBlue, Silver Airways, Southwest and Sun Country. They were approved by the Department of Transportation for a total of 155 roundtrip flights per week.
Silver Airways was awarded the approval the U.S. Department of Transportation to fly from South Florida to Cuba.
The airline was award the right to fly from Fort Lauderdale to all nine Cuban destinations.
Flights include:
- Fort Lauderdale – Santa Clara
- Fort Lauderdale – Camagüey
- Fort Lauderdale – Cienfuegos
- Fort Lauderdale – Holguín
- Fort Lauderdale – Santiago
- Fort Lauderdale – Cayo Coco
- Fort Lauderdale – Varadero
- Fort Lauderdale – Cayo Largo
- Fort Lauderdale – Manzanillo
Flights to Cuba would begin on Oct. 20.
“We are honored to be the only airline awarded authority to serve all nine non-Havana destinations. However, Havana remains a critical component of Silver’s growth strategy in Cuba. Thousands of Cuban Americans will continue to be alienated from their family and friends if Silver is not granted direct service to Havana from West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Key West, and Jacksonville,” said Jason Bewley, Silver Airways CFO and Executive Vice President Commercial. “Silver is the only carrier that can fly these travelers home to their families without forcing them to endure long drives to distant airports or requiring them to make time-wasting connections which unfortunately is what the other airlines have proposed for residents of these important Cuban-American communities here in Florida.”
Approval is still required by the Cuban government.
Cox Media Group
