U.S. Airlines Show Interest in Direct Flights to Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 5 (acn) After the beginning of negotiations aimed at re-establishing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, several U.S. airlines show interest in establishing direct regular flights to the island, the Prensa Latina news agency reported.

Representatives of these airlines (American Airlines, United, JetBlue, Southwest and Delta), warn that this activity should be submitted to the approval of the government and that the approval could take even a year to become a reality, due to the existing economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.
Among limitations faced, there's the fact that U.S. citizens still can't travel to Cuba as tourists, a ban codified by U.S. Congress laws.
The measures of the departments of Treasury Commerce of the United States that came into force on January 16 relaxed the possibility of traveling to Cuba for a dozen categories of citizens, but these persons still have to use charter flights through authorized agencies.
According to Bob Guild, executive of the Marazul Charters travel agency, a considerable growth in the number of persons visiting Cuba is expected over the next few months in spite of restrictions, and therefore this and other entities will increase capacities in these flights chartered to Havana and other cities of the island.