JetBlue to stop flights to Cuba

Thabata Nunes De Freitas
·2 min read
A JetBlue airplane. The company said it is stopping its services between the U.S. and Cuba, due to the low demand caused by U.S. restrictions on travel to the country
A JetBlue airplane. The company said it is stopping its services between the U.S. and Cuba, due to the low demand caused by U.S. restrictions on travel to the country | Mark Lennihan, Associated Press

JetBlue is stopping its services between the U.S. and Cuba. The company has credited the decision to the low demand caused by U.S. restrictions on travel to the country.

The company will finalize its services to the destination on Sept. 17 and will refund all of those with flights booked for later dates, per the Miami Herald.

“Demand for travel to the island has been significantly affected by changes to the regulatory landscape and restrictions on our customers’ ability to enter Cuba. We look forward to resuming our service to Havana and continuing to pursue opportunities within Cuba should travel become more accessible in the future,” JetBlue said in a statement, per CBS News.

JetBlue was the first U.S. commercial airline to resume flights to Cuba in more than 50 years back in 2016. Since then, the airline operated two flights to Havana: one from Fort Lauderdale daily and one from New York on Saturdays, per the Miami Herald.

Other airlines will follow in JetBlue’s footsteps

Delta and United are also cutting back on flights to Cuba. According to the Miami Herald, Delta has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation for a temporary suspension on all of its seven flights from Atlanta to Havana and on half of its flights connecting Miami and Havana, between Oct. 29 and March 30 next year.

Which airlines are flying to Cuba?

According to travel website Kayak, the airlines that have direct flights from the United States to Cuba include: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Each company may only offer flights leaving from specific destinations and on certain days of the week.

Traveling to Cuba

According to the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, “Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute.” Nonetheless, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued licenses for 12 categories of traveling:

  • Family visits.

  • Official business of the U.S. and foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations.

  • Journalism.

  • Professional research and meetings.

  • Education.

  • Religion.

  • Public performances, and contests.

  • Cuban people support.

  • Humanitarian projects.

  • Private foundations’ activities or research.

  • Exportation and importation of informational materials.

  • Specific and authorized export transactions.