The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued the order at the request of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who said the action was “in support of the Cuban people and in the interests of United States foreign policy.”
The White House last month signaled a planned move as part of a broader review of Cuba’s policy. Flight restrictions came into force immediately.
The Trump administration issued a series of aviation restrictions in 2019 and 2020 in an attempt to increase US economic pressure on the Cuban government. Read more
These include a ban on US carriers flying to eight international airports in Cuba outside Havana, including Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba.
Under President Donald Trump, the USDOT imposed a 3,600-year ceiling on charter flights to Cuba and later halted private charter flights to Cuba. The department also banned charter flights to Cuban airports except Havana.
At the time, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Cuba was “using tourism and travel funds to fund its abuses and interventions in Venezuela.” “Dictators cannot be allowed to take advantage of travel in the United States.”
Trump’s USDOT has authorized authorized public charters to and from Havana and other authorized charter flights “for emergency medical purposes, search and rescue, and other trips deemed to be of interest to the United States.”
As US airlines face full flights and some face staff shortages, it is unclear how many new flights to Cuba can be added.
As a result of the order, USDOT rejected pending applications for emergency exemptions and the distribution of public charter flights in Havana.
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