The US Department of Transportation revoked all restrictions on scheduled and charter flights to Cuba imposed by the Trump administration amidst other regulatory actions seeking re-engagement with the Havana regime.
The action was taken at the request of the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.
"Consistent with Administration measures announced May 16 in support of the Cuban people, and in the foreign policy interests of the United States, I respectfully request the Department of Transportation terminate all civil aviation restrictions on flights between the United States and Cuba," Blinken wrote in a letter to the US DOT.
The order revokes all restrictions on flights to Cuba, namely:
- a ban on scheduled flights to regional airports in Cuba (Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo Sierra Maestra, Santa Clara de Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, and Varadero) imposed in late October 2019,
- a ban on public charter flights to airports other than Havana International, accompanied by a strict limit on the number of charters permitted to the Cuban capital, imposed in early 2020, and
- an amendment of certificates of all US certified airlines banning them from operating to Cuba with exceptions provided for authorised flights, finalised in November 2020.
The decision is effective immediately, which means that as of June 1, 2022, the US-Cuba market is once again governed by the 2016 agreement. However, as the two countries do not have an open skies agreement, each US airline willing to serve Cuba will have to apply for a permit covering a specific route.
The ch-aviation capacities module shows that the current US-Cuba scheduled network comprises the following routes to Havana:
- from Fort Lauderdale International - JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines,
- from Miami International - American Airlines,
- from New York JFK - JetBlue, and
- from Tampa International - Southwest Airlines.
The removal of restrictions affects only US airlines, as Cubana (CU, Havana International) is still subject to US sanctions.
The move is part of a wider détente which will also see US firms allowed to invest, albeit in a limited way, in Cuba (subject to the approval of the Cuban government), the end of restrictions on remittances, the facilitation of family reunifications by Cubans seeking permanent residence in the US, and liberalised access to US technology for Cuban firms. However, the US has not amended its travel rules, which restrict travel to Cuba to tour operator customers.
