United Airlines hopes to resume US-Cuba flights by end of 2022

United Airlines said it is looking forward to resuming flights to Cuba by the end of 2022, according to a report by Reuters .

The Chicago-based airline suspended its operations to Cuba in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, the airline had been trying hard for months to relaunch the flights, but due to unspecified roadblocks, has asked the US Department of Transport (DOT) for 30 additional days to meet requirements. The DOT had originally given the airline a deadline of October 31, 2022.

The requirements needed to be fulfilled by the airline include the renegotiation of lapsed contracts with service providers, and the construction of infrastructure in Terminal 3 at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport (HAV), where United is being relocated

The Biden administration agreed to lift flight restrictions to Cuba imposed under the Trump government. 13 weekly American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) departures from Miami and a weekly JetBlue Airways departure from Fort Lauderdale, Florida have been approved in September 2022.