Regular US Flights Awaited at Cienfuegos, Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 5 (acn) The Jaime Gonzalez Grocier international airport, in the central-south city of Cienfuegos is now ready for American Airlines flights to begin on September 7, after JetBlue and Silver Airways arrived in central Santa Clara city, last week.

Airport director Boris Suarez told CAN news agency that a six-year project expanded the facility's main hall, customs services and other areas in order to improve the quality of operations. He said the airport can now allow simultaneous entrance and exit of up to 250 passengers.

Suarez recalled that the airport was the entrance in 2007 for all heads of state and government and delegations that took part at the 4th Summit of the PetroCaribe integration program, held in the central city.

At present, the airport is destination for three weekly charter flights from the United States, along with others from Canada.

The first regular US flight to Cuba arrived August 31 in Santa Clara city, followed by a second one by Silver Airways on September 1.

American Airlines is scheduled to begin flying to Cienfuegos and eastern Holguin on September 7 and later to eastern Camaguey, Central Santa Clara and western Matanzas.

On July 7, the US Department of Transportation authorized 110 daily and regular flights to Cuba by six commercial airline companies, with 90 of those flights to different Cuban cities, and 20 to Havana, which are still to be authorized.

The airline companies authorized to fly to Cuba can make up to 11 daily flights to 9 international airports, which include Cayo Coco and Cayo Largo keys, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba Camaguey, Holguin, Manzanillo, Varadero and Santa Clara.

The US companies authorized will depart from five US cities: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Philadelphia.

All those airlines may have branch offices in Cuba for their own commercial operations beginning in the winter season.

Cuba counts on 10 international airports operating over 110 foreign airline companies including regular and charter flights, said Cuban deputy transportation minister Eduardo Rodriguez in a recent press conference confirming the beginning of US commercial flights to the island.

Rodriguez said that the beginning of regular and direct flights from the US constitutes a positive step and a contribution to the process of improvement of bilateral relations between Washington and Havana.