JetBlue Airways and its charter partner, Cuba Travel Services, announced a new flight from New York to Havana, Cuba. The milestone makes JetBlue the first major carrier to announce a new flight to Cuba from New York since travel restrictions were recently eased.
Cuba Travel Services is offering the flight, operated by JetBlue, on Fridays from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Havana's José Martí International Airport (HAV) beginning July 3, 2015.
JetBlue serves all charter flights to Cuba on its 150-seat Airbus A320.
"We are very excited to partner with yet another prestigious carrier such as JetBlue," said Michael Zuccato, general manager at Cuba Travel Services. "A second JFK rotation will provide additional options for travelers in the Tri-State area as well as those connecting passengers that prefer a New York gateway to Cuba. This new partnership will provide our clients with the high quality of service that they've grown accustomed to with Cuba Travel Services at a more competitive price."
With the addition to the New York-Havana flight, JetBlue will operate five weekly round trips to Cuba, including flights from Tampa (TPA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) with various charter partners. Cuba will one day play an important role in JetBlue's overall Caribbean network, a region where JetBlue is the largest airline. The airline began flying to Cuba for charter companies in 2011.