Havana: Flight connections between Cuba and the US continue to increase, and negotiations for re-establishing direct flights between the two countries are still going on.
On Wednesday, Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) was added to the 18 US air terminals offering direct charter flights to the Caribbean island, with a new flight operated by airline Swift Air flying out twice a week, reported Xinhua news agency. Meanwhile, the US airline Jet Blue announced their second direct charter flight from New York to Havana. In January 2015, US President Barack Obama authorised US airlines to fly to Cuba without special permissions from the treasury department. In December 2014, Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced the decision to re-establish relations, following which US citizens were allowed to travel to the Caribbean island. On Monday and Tuesday, delegations from both countries held an initial round of negotiations in Havana to establish regular commercial flights, addressing topics relevant to air transport, operational security and aviation security, said Cuba’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. After more than half a century of hostility, Washington and Havana are both redoubling efforts to normalise their relations, and US air companies are pressuring US authorities to lift flight restrictions.
