Cuba and the Dominican Republic have signed an updated air services agreement to "increase the flow of passengers, trade, connectivity, and ... air transport."
Nolinor Aviation president Marco Prud’Homme tells Routes why the Canadian company has launched leisure airline OWG and what the startup will bring to an already crowded market.
The American carrier will serve a third city in Cuba, following the historic decision earlier this year to start commercial service between the two countries.
Cuba has long been a popular tourist destination for Italian holiday makers and is increasingly being added to cruise ship itineraries. And with trade growing between Italy and Cuba the new route should also attract business traffic with Italian exporters and for those looking to invest in the Cuban market.
With only 110 daily flights to Cuba on offer, some of the biggest players in the US market are fighting for the coveted spots. Thirteen carriers will go head to head for the slots, with American Airlines leading the requests, hoping to cater to the vast Cuban-American population of Miami
The memorandum of understanding, signed on February 16, 2016, allows airlines of each country to operate up to 20 daily scheduled frequencies between the US and Havana and up to ten daily frequencies to any other airport in the country (Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba). It also permits unlimited charter services to and from any point in Cuba in accordance with the regulations of each country.
A historic deal has been reached this week after three days of talks in Washington that opens the way for US airlines to negotiate with Cuba's government to operate up to 20 routes a day to Havana and ten too each of Cuba's other nine major airports, according to State Department officials. These will be in addition to the current limited charter programmes that have been serving the countries while hefty sanctions have been in place.
