Emphasizes Choice, Convenience And Access In Proposal

United Airlines has submitted its latest filing to the U.S. 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.”

United has proposed daily nonstop flight from Newark Liberty International Airport, serving the Newark/New York City region, the largest metropolitan area in the country and home to the second-largest population of Cuban Americans. “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.”

The airline has also proposed:

• Saturday nonstop service from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Saturday nonstop service from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Saturday nonstop service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

United said in a news release that 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.

(Source: United Airlines news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.united.com