Travel News

Eight American Airports Cleared For Cuba Flights

Adriana Padilla
Locations in this article:  Atlanta, GA Baltimore, MD Chicago, IL Dallas, TX Los Angeles, CA Miami, FL New Orleans, LA Pittsburgh, PA Tampa, FL

Cuban Flag - More American Airports Cleared For Cuba FlightsTravel restrictions to Cuba continue to loosen under the Obama administration with eight airports cleared to handle charter flights to the island nation by year’s end.

Currently, flights to Cuba are restricted to Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency expanded the list of airports with direct flights to Cuba this week to include Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, San Juan Louis Munoz Marin International Airport, and Tampa International Airport.

Restriction will continue on who can travel to Cuba, so access to flights will remain limited despite growing flight options. Passengers must still have close relatives in Cuba or be traveling on a religious, academic, journalistic or cultural mission.

Though charter flights land in Cuba everyday, commercial flights to Cuba are still unlikely.

Most carriers like American Airlines and Delta Air Lines make their planes available for flights to Cuba, but have to go through a charter company for ticketing.

Delta says it is ready to charter flights to Cuba from its hub in Atlanta as early as May or June. Other operators have yet step forward to announce their stake in the newly opened market.

The move today is part of President Obama’s plan to ease of travel restrictions to Cuba to where they stood during the Clinton era.

By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: Washington Post, NPR, Examiner.com

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