Florida airports preparing for higher demand for flights to Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

Florida airports preparing for higher demand for flights to Cuba
February 06, 2011|By William E. Gibson and Doreen Hemlock, Sun Sentinel

WASHINGTON — Airport officials in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Key West and possibly Orlando plan to seek federal permission to establish direct flights to Cuba under new travel rules implemented last month by the Obama administration to reach out to the Cuban people.

They hope to tap a growing market of Cuban-Americans and members of religious, educational and cultural groups who can now travel more freely to the island.

Their main goal, however, is to prepare for a major surge of traffic if the two nations remove all travel barriers for American tourists. The United States first imposed partial trade and travel restrictions in 1960 — and made it a near-total embargo in 1962 — in hopes of undercutting the Fidel Castro regime.

"If relations change between the two countries, we'd certainly like to be well-positioned to take advantage," said Doug Webster, director of administration and strategic planning for the Broward County Aviation Department. "If we ever get to that point, the potential is big."

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-02-06/news/fl-cuba-travel-expands-20110206_1_restrictions-on-cuban-american-travel-direct-flights-florida-airports

[joshcryer]

1. This is just one more reason for Obama to create a general travel license for Cuba through OFAC.

As of now the easiest way to get there is to just say you're a journalist / documentarian / film maker, show some YouTube videos you posted, and you'll probably be granted a license (unless the YouTube videos are you just picking boogers or something). :P

Obama can easily, trivially, create a "general Cuba travel license" for all Americans. Hell, call it a tourist license.

Unfortunately Helms-Burton screwed things up otherwise he could lift travel restrictions completely.

[roody]

2. License --- what bs. We are supposedly free people.

I will go the easiest way. Pay cash for a ticket from Cancun.