American Airlines increases flights to Cuba despite U.S. restrictions

Aside from the deepening and intensification of the United States economic and financial blockade against Cuba and the numerous travel restrictions imposed on American citizens wishing to travel to the island, and on Cuban citizens wishing to travel to the United States, American Airlines confirmed this Wednesday that it remains committed to continuing to increase the number of flights between the United States and Cuba.

According to statements made to the press by Efe, Ramón Jiménez, director of operations for American Airlines in Cuba: "The impact is being studied, but right now our focus is on investing in the Cuban market long-term and continuing our operations, which continue to grow."

The director of operations for American Airlines in Cuba also added: "Since May, American Airlines has offered a connection between Miami and the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba; in June, it will establish a second connection between Miami and Santa Clara; and starting in July, it will add a sixth daily flight between Miami and Havana."

On May 2, 2019, the US administration of Donald Trump initiated the implementation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act. Title III of the Helms-Burton Act grants US citizens the right to sue companies that manage and invest in land, property, and real estate within Cuba, if the land, property, or real estate was expropriated after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959.

Among the properties that fall into this category under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act are, for example, the José Martí International Airport in Havana, Cuba's capital, and the airline Cubana de Aviación. Both were expropriated from Cuban José López Vilaboy and later nationalized.

American Airlines and 40 other airlines from various countries operate legally at Havana's José Martí International Airport, and as such, the company's flights could be affected.

Furthermore, the United States government has announced that it will impose future restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to the island, provided such travel is not primarily for family reasons. These restrictions are undoubtedly aimed at affecting the number of travelers arriving in Cuba.

Regarding this situation, Peter Cerdá, regional vice president for the Americas of the International Air Transport Association, stressed his confidence that the United States restrictions will not thwart the growing trend in the number of flights to and from the island, as this number could continue to rise, even reaching "more than triple" in the next two decades.

The International Air Transport Association's regional vice president for the Americas concluded: "On a political level, we hope these barriers being imposed can be resolved, because in the end, they not only harm Cuba but also all passengers who want to come, and it has an impact on global airlines."