Alaska’s state airline has applied for two of a handful of flights authorized by a new diplomatic agreement between the United States and Cuba.
Signed last month, the agreement allows 20 daily flights from the United States to Cuba and 10 daily flights to any of nine other Cuban airports. The agreement is a landmark in U.S.-Cuban relations; no regularly scheduled direct flights have taken place between the two countries since the United States enacted an economic embargo against Cuba following its communist revolution in 1960.
According to an email from Alaska Airlines, the company has requested two daily flights between Los Angeles and Havana. Whether Alaska receives the flights is up to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which is considering applications from almost every American airline.
DOT is expected to spread the 20 authorized flights among a variety of airlines, and a decision is expected by the end of summer, Alaska Airlines stated.
The airline anticipates using a 181-passenger Boeing 737-900 on its flights between Los Angeles and Havana.
