AfA: Airlines selected for Cuba flights should offer cargo service

The Air Forwarders Association wants the U.S. Department of Transportation to make cargo operations one of the criteria used when deciding which airlines will be granted flying rights to Cuba.    The Airforwarders Association has petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation to assign routes for service to Cuba to passenger airlines that also offer air cargo service.
   On Thursday, the DOT accepted applications from eight U.S. carriers seeking permission to provide passenger service to Cuba. Of those carriers only Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines operate cargo programs.
   “The opening of Cuba to travel is about more than just moving people, it will also be about trade. The eligibility of any airline that ultimately cannot fill planes with both passengers and cargo should be looked upon less favorably,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association. 
   The DOT plans to study the requests after receiving public comments and make a decision by March 21.
   The United States and Cuba entered an agreement last month to reestablish scheduled air cargo and passenger services between the two countries. There have been no scheduled flights between the two countries in more than 50 years.
   The new arrangement provides each country with the opportunity to operate up to 20 daily roundtrip flights between the United States and Havana. It also allows each country to operate up to 10 daily roundtrip flights between the United States and each of Cuba’s nine other international airports. However, the ability to operate that many flights could be limited by sub-standard airport infrastructure and restrictive rules on foreigners doing  business in Cuba.
   In 2014, the Obama administration initiated diplomatic efforts to normalize relations with Cuba, and in December 2015, the U.S. and Cuban governments reached agreement to re-establish air services between the two countries.