U.S. airlines have applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for an idle waiver on several routes due to depressed demand for travel between the United States and Cuba. Due to the frequency limitations of the Cuban non-open skies market, there are currently more flights and seats than demand warrants.
JetBlue
JetBlue requested a three-year idle extension from DOT for 20 weekly frequencies between the U.S. and Cuba that it uses to operate between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Havana and returns one weekly frequency to DOT that it uses to provide service between New York JFK and the Cuban capital.
The airline has concluded that services to Havana are not sustainable in the current market and will end all operations to Cuba effective September 17, 2023. JetBlue also informed the DOT that it does not wish to “hoard” frequencies for other air carriers to use.
If the Department grants the airline’s three-year dormancy waiver for its 20 weekly frequencies between the U.S. and Cuba. If in the dormancy period other airlines apply to the DOT to operate JetBlue’s frequencies, the airline will either return the frequencies before the years or agree to some procedure if it wishes to return to Havana again in the future.
Delta
Delta Air Lines has applied to the DOT for a seasonal waiver, from October 29, 2023 through March 30, 2024, for its seven Atlanta-Havana frequencies and seven of its fourteen Miami-Havana frequencies. Although demand between the U.S. and Cuba remains depressed, the airline expects demand for travel between the two countries to recover and reintroduce service again.
Delta previously requested downtime relief for the 2023 summer season for its services on the Atlanta-Havana route, after which the Department granted the request. Due to the adverse situations in the Cuban market in the face of pent-up demand in the Cuba-U.S. market, the airline expects the DOT to accept its request for downtime relief and be able to preserve its frequencies.
United
On June 8, 2023, United Airlines notified the Department of the suspension of its Newark-Havana services as of October 29, 2023 due to economic circumstances, thus Cuba loses all nonstop connections to New York.
The airline also explained that it does not want extended downtime for these frequencies and will focus all its operations to Havana from its Houston-Intercontinental hub. At present, United is the only U.S. airline that does not offer flights between Florida and Cuba.
