The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted FedEx Express (FX, Memphis International) exemption authority to operate scheduled cargo flights between the United States and Cuba effective July 15, 2016, through to July 15, 2018.
In its decision, the DOT authorized the freight specialist to operate a 5x weekly service (weekdays only) between Miami International and Varadero/Matanzas, Cuba. FedEx had originally applied to operate a 5x weekly Miami-Havana International-Merida M. Crescencio Rejon, Mexico-Miami service using B757-200(PF) equipment before amending the request to the aforementioned routing late last month.
As such, FedEx has proposed inaugurating its Miami-Varadero/Matanzas-Miami service from January 15, 2017.
Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the US and Cuba in February this year, each country may operate up to twenty daily return flights between the US and Havana and up to ten daily return flights between the US and each of Cuba’s nine international airports, Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo Sierra Maestra, Santa Clara de Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, and Varadero/Matanzas, for a total of ninety daily return flights.
