The United States and Cuba on Thursday announced plans to resume
flights between the two nations, erasing another vestige of what had
been strained ties rooted in the Cold War.
The latest progress as the countries work to build on their restoration of full diplomatic relations this summer was made public a year to the day after President Barack Obama and counterpart Raul Castro first said they would bury the hatchet.
In a short statement, the US State Department said that on Wednesday Washington and Havana had reached “a bilateral arrangement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries.”
This does not mean American tourists can now start flocking to communist-run Cuba to lie on beaches, sip rum and fire up cigars.
Such travel remains illegal because the trade embargo that the Americans slapped on Cuba in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power in a communist revolution remains in effect.
In a statement marking the anniversary of the start of reconciliation, Obama renewed his call for the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the embargo, which he termed the “legacy of a failed policy.”
Republicans are wary of rewarding Cuba until it improves its human rights record.
Until now only charter flights were permitted. Current US law also allowed for special permits to visit Cuba, and the criteria for getting one of these was loosened in January
The latest progress as the countries work to build on their restoration of full diplomatic relations this summer was made public a year to the day after President Barack Obama and counterpart Raul Castro first said they would bury the hatchet.
In a short statement, the US State Department said that on Wednesday Washington and Havana had reached “a bilateral arrangement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries.”
This does not mean American tourists can now start flocking to communist-run Cuba to lie on beaches, sip rum and fire up cigars.
Such travel remains illegal because the trade embargo that the Americans slapped on Cuba in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power in a communist revolution remains in effect.
In a statement marking the anniversary of the start of reconciliation, Obama renewed his call for the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the embargo, which he termed the “legacy of a failed policy.”
Republicans are wary of rewarding Cuba until it improves its human rights record.
Until now only charter flights were permitted. Current US law also allowed for special permits to visit Cuba, and the criteria for getting one of these was loosened in January
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