CHICAGO, IL – United Airlines today submitted its latest filing to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for authority to begin commercial air service to Cuba from its global gateways in Newark/New York, Houston, Washington and Chicago to Havana’s José Martí International Airport in Cuba. United’s proposal for nonstop service to Havana from four of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas, home to some of the largest Cuban-American populations, would bring the most choice, convenience and competition for consumers.
“Customers benefit most when there’s diversity of travel options across carriers and cities. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a tremendous opportunity to make convenient and accessible travel to Cuba available to customers across the United States,” said Steve Morrissey, United’s vice president of regulatory and policy affairs. “With a route network that offers the greatest number of flights in many of the largest U.S. cities, United is ideally positioned to maximize customer choice and access.”
More than 15,000 customers, employees, elected officials and business leaders have sent letters to the DOT in support of United’s proposal. The letters recognize that United’s service will deliver significant customer choice, economic benefit and opportunity for cultural exchange to those communities and beyond.
Auaunaga le tumau i aso uma mai le Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
O le taumafaiga a United i aso uma e aunoa ma le taofia mai le Newark Liberty International Airport o le a maua ai se taua tulaga ese i le tautuaina o le Newark / New York City itulagi, o le sili ona tele taulaga taulaga i le atunuʻu ma le fale i le lona lua sili ona tele tagata Cuban Amerika.
“Newark and the metropolitan region would benefit from United’s new competition in the U.S.-Cuba market,” wrote Newark Mayor Ras Baraka in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. “United’s proposed service will spur economic activity and job creation in the greater Newark area and will enable the nearly 80,000 Cuban Americans living in New Jersey to gain new travel options and business development opportunities. This important market should not be held back from additional travel opportunities to and from Cuba.”
Mo le sili atu ma le 20 tausaga, United na ofoina atu i le Newark / New York City itulagi le tele o vaʻalele i le tele nofoaga i le lalolagi atoa.
Aso Toonaʻi leai se malologa tautua mai Houston Bush Intercontinental Malae Vaʻalele (IAH)
Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport is United’s gateway to Latin America. Rated as one of the most efficient points of entry for foreign travelers, United offers 91 daily nonstop flights to 52 destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Bush Intercontinental will be an important gateway for service to Havana and will directly connect 20 markets across the central and western United States to Cuba with just one stop. The Cuban-American population in the Houston metropolitan area ranks eighth nationally.
“Houston is often described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major city in the U.S. Almost one in four Houstonians was born outside of the country – many of whom are among the 2.3 million Houstonians that claim a Hispanic or Latino origin,” wrote Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, in a letter to Secretary Foxx. “Houston is likely to emerge as a key gateway for U.S.-Cuban relations over time.”
Aso Toonaʻi e le taofia le tautua mai Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
O le taulaga o Uosigitone o le nofoaga o le sefulu-sili ona tele o le faitau aofaʻi o tagata Cuban-Amerika ma i faʻapolokiki autu ma tamaoaiga faʻalapotopotoga fausiaina le US-Cuba sootaga. United's service i le va o Washington Dulles ma Havana o le a fesoʻotaʻi ai laumua faʻavaomalo e lua ma le vaiaso e le taofia le tautua.
“United’s Washington Dulles-Havana service would naturally provide an important link between capital cities, fostering this capital-to-capital connection between business, government and tourists,” wrote Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC, in a letter to Secretary Foxx. “It will also serve a promising and growing export and diplomatic market.”
Aso Toʻonaʻi le taofi le tautua mai le Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
O Chicago o le fale o le atunuʻu lona ono o le lautele o Cuban-American. United, le kamupani vaalele a Chicago, ofaina lata i le 500 vaalele i aso uma mai O'Hare, lea na taʻua e le Airport Connectivity Quality Index mo le iai o fesoʻotaʻiga silisili i isi malae vaʻalele a Amerika, tele pe laiti.
“Specifically this new route from Chicago to Havana would provide us with far better and more competitive access to the rich cultural resources of Cuba,” wrote Daniel J. Schmidt, president and CEO of WTTW and WFMT, in a letter to Secretary Foxx.
