In a new step for the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations, six airlines have the go-ahead to offer direct flights to nine Cuban cities (excluding Havana), the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Friday.
The decision spells out a strict limit of 10 or fewer flights to each city per day "for a total of 90 daily non-Havana U.S.-Cuba round-trip frequencies." Currently, 20 daily flights are approved for Havana, and the DOT is reviewing applications to expand those routes later in 2016.
For now, Americans will be able to fly to Cuba from Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Philadelphia as soon as this fall. The airlines whose applications were approved are American, Frontier, JetBlue, Silver, Southwest, and Sun Country.
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