United, Delta Announce Dates for Havana Flights

Delta Air Lines will begin daily service to Havana, Cuba, from Atlanta, Miami and New York–JFK on December 1st following an announcement by the US department of transportation.

Delta thanked the DOT for awarding the airline the ability to resume operating nonstop scheduled service to Cuba for the first time in almost 55 years. Flights will be available for sale beginning September 10th, 2016.

“Today, we celebrate our long-awaited and historic return to Cuba, and we reaffirm our thanks to Secretary Foxx and his team as well as the US state department for granting us the authority to operate this service,” said Nicolas Ferri, Delta vice president, Latin America and the Caribbean.

“This December, we look forward to serving customers with the excellent customer service and operational performance they expect from Delta while reuniting families and supporting a new generation of travelers seeking to engage and explore this unique destination.”

Delta flights between New York-JFK and Havana will connect the New York City area, home to the second largest Cuban-American population, to Cuba’s political, cultural and economic capital.

Atlanta service will provide more than 150 US cities with one-stop access to Cuba from the world’s largest hub, with more seats, destinations and flights than any other carrier.

Delta’s Miami-Havana flights will serve the largest population of Cuban-Americans in the US. Delta is the second-largest carrier at Miami International Airport by number of daily flights.

Americans can travel to Cuba only if their trip falls within one of 12 designated categories, including family visits, educational activities, religious activities, humanitarian projects, professional research and professional meetings and others.

United Airlines service to Havana starts November 29

Beginning November 29, United will start daily nonstop flights to the Cuban capital from New York/Newark and Saturday nonstop service from Houston, with both services subject to government approval.

Since the DOT announced its preliminary Havana route awards in July, United has been working closely with the Cuban government to prepare for the start of its operation into José Martí International Airport.

"I'm incredibly proud of all the dedicated aviation professionals here at United who are working hard to get our historic Cuba service ready for takeoff in November," said Oscar Munoz, United's CEO. "The final approval by the DOT reaffirms that our flights will ensure better choice, convenience and competition for all travelers on this important route, and I want to thank the DOT for their decision."

United's daily nonstop flight from Newark Liberty International Airport will provide an important gateway to Cuba from the Newark/New York City region, the largest metropolitan area in the country and home to the second-largest population of Cuban Americans. For more than 20 years, United has offered the Newark/New York City region the most flights to the most destinations around the world.

Recognized by "Trusted Traveler Network" as one of the most international-friendly points of entry for foreign travelers, Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport is United's gateway to Latin America. Bush Intercontinental will be an important gateway for service to Havana and will directly connect 20 markets across the central and western United States to Cuba with just one stop. The Cuban-American population in the Houston metropolitan area ranks among the top ten cities in the country.

United will operate both services with Boeing 737 aircraft.