U.S. approves Delta, United bids to delay restart of Havana flights

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Division (USDOT) on Tuesday stated it might permit Delta Air Strains (DAL.N) and United Airways (UAL.O) to quickly delay resuming flights to Cuba as they work to handle logistical points.

United final month stated it has been working for months to relaunch Havana service however faces hurdles, whereas Delta additionally stated it was dealing with points in reestablishing service.

USDOT stated it might require United to renew service no later than Dec. 1 and Delta no later than March 26.

United beforehand flew seven flights weekly to Havana from its Houston and Newark hubs. It stated in September it must “undertake vital work together with re-negotiating a number of contracts with service suppliers which have lapsed, constructing out obligatory infrastructure in Terminal 3 at Havana’s airport the place United is being relocated.”

Delta has the best to fly 21 weekly flights between america and Cuba, made up of 14 for Miami and seven Atlanta flights. Delta suspended the flights throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and initially plans to renew Miami flights.

Delta stated it’s working to relaunch flights however “wants further time to make sure reintroduction of secure, environment friendly, and sustainable service to Havana.”

Delta expects it might take as much as six months to re-establish obligatory IT infrastructure to deal with passenger wants in Havana and faces “ongoing challenges in securing visas for personnel to journey to Cuba” for each pre and publish launch staffing.

Final month the Biden administration agreed to develop U.S. flights to Havana, including 13 weekly American Airways (AAL.O) departures from Miami and a weekly JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) departure from Fort Lauderdale, on prime of the everyday six each day American Airways flights and three JetBlue flights weekdays to Havana from the Florida airports.

In June, USDOT lifted restrictions on flights to Cuba imposed underneath former President Donald Trump, together with ending a prohibition on U.S. airline flights to smaller Cuban airports.

In July, American Airways obtained permission to renew service to some smaller Cuban airports.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Enhancing by Mark Porter and Chris Reese

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