2023-09-01 22:29:03
The American company JetBlue, the first to resume regular flights between the United States and Cuba in 2016, shortly following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, announced on Friday that it would suspend all flights to the island due to the restrictions. imposed on travelers by the United States.
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“JetBlue has taken the decision to suspend all its connections to Cuba,” the company announced in a press release sent to AFP, specifying that the last connection would take place on September 17.
This decision comes as “the demand for travel to the island has been significantly impacted by the restrictions imposed on travel to Cuba following the launch of our service”, explains the company, without further details on the nature of these restrictions.
It further points out that this decision “will allow it to redeploy additional aircraft” on its “best performing routes”.
Washington still officially prohibits American tourists from traveling to Cuba. However, travel is authorized for family reunifications or cultural and educational exchanges.
JetBlue was the first – since 1961 and the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba – to launch with great fanfare on August 31, 2016 a scheduled commercial flight between an American airport, that of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a Cuban city, Santa Clara, in the center of the island.
US airline flights have been restored to Cuba thanks to diplomatic rapprochement between the two former Cold War enemies, when Barack Obama (2009-2017) was in the White House.
However, his successor Donald Trump (2017-2021) had tightened the sanctions, in particular suspending all flights between the United States and the provinces of the island, retaining only those to the capital.
In 2022, the administration of Democrat Joe Biden authorized the resumption of connections to the provinces.
Since 1962, Washington has imposed an economic embargo on Cuba, which is still in effect today.
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