You might also like:
American and Delta have joined JetBlue in applying for the right to increase service to Havana.
On Monday, American became the third carrier in four days to ask the Department of Transportation to award it some of the 21 weekly U.S.-Havana frequencies that Spirit and Frontier will surrender in the late spring. The move followed the submission of a similar application by Delta last Friday.
Spirit plans to drop its twice-daily Fort Lauderdale-Havana flights on May 31, while Frontier will cease its daily Miami-Havana service on June 4. The end of those services will open new Havana availabilities under the 2016 U.S-Cuba aviation agreement, which allows for a maximum of 20 flights daily from the U.S. to Havana.
American requested permission to operate a fifth daily Miami-Havana flight beginning no later than Oct. 5 while Delta hopes to begin flying a second daily Miami-Havana operation no later than Dec. 15.
Both applications came on the heels of an April 20 application by JetBlue to increase from 13 to 19 its total flights per week from Fort Lauderdale to Havana. JetBlue has also asked for approval to begin a weekly Boston-Havana service.
Efforts by American, Delta and JetBlue to obtain more Havana frequencies go against the trend that materialized in the six months after commercial service between the U.S. and Cuba resumed late last year.
Spirit, Frontier and the Florida regional carrier Silver have all pulled out of Cuba, citing overcapacity, high operating costs and lack of demand. American and JetBlue have downsized aircraft on some Cuba flights.
Delta painted a happier picture on Miami-Havana routes in its April 21 application.
“As the Cuba market has developed, load factors have improved on DL’s existing flights to [Havana], with [Miami] having the strongest performance,” the carrier said.
Sоurсе: travelweekly.com