Charter flights to Cuba now leaving New Castle Airport

Charter flights to Cuba now leaving New Castle Airport
DELAWARE INC.
Scott Goss, The News Journal 8:26 p.m. EDT August 31, 2015

Delawareans can't catch a direct commercial flight in their home state,
but they now can lease a jet bound directly for Cuba.

JFI Jets, a charter air carrier based in California, announced it has
received federal clearance to fly to Havana from multiple airports
throughout the country – including New Castle Airport.

A JFI Jets employee directed questions about the flights to company
President David J. Rimmer, who was not immediately available for comment
Monday.

"Few private charter carriers have the necessary certifications to fly
to Cuba presently and even fewer have the local knowledge and contacts
on the ground that are key to executing a flawless trip," Rimmer said in
a statement posted on the company's website. "At JFI, we have both."

The company reportedly will offer the flights from New Castle County, as
well as Long Island, New York, and multiple California locations.

Rimmer told Newsday round-trip prices from Long Island to Cuba for a
nine-seat jet will start about $40,000.

About 1,440 Delawareans identified themselves as Cuban-American in the
2010 U.S. Census.

JFI Jets reportedly flew its first charter flight to Cuba last month.

Another is booked for September, but any possible connections through
Delaware were not announced.

Although JFI may have approval to land in Cuba, U.S. citizens still are
bound by federal restrictions on travel to the island.

Those rules technically forbid travel to Cuba for tourism, although
President Barack Obama in January expanded the categories of authorized
travel, making it easier for U.S. citizens to visit.

Americans now legally can travel to Cuba in groups if they can show
their trips are for family visits, research, educational activities,
humanitarian efforts or a handful of other purposes.

But the regulations have become so relaxed that travel companies
reportedly are arranging trips that meet the new requirements.

This summer, JetBlue became the first airline to begin direct flights
from New York to Havana, while American Airlines is expected to start
charter flights from Los Angeles in December.

U.S. cruise lines also are proposing to bring Americans to Cuba for
"educational" tours.

Charter flights to Cuba are not expected to provide a major economic
lift at New Castle Airport at Hares Corner on North Du Pont Highway.

Word of the Cuba flights' availability does provide some positive news
for the Delaware River and Bay Authority-operated facility, which lost
commercial carrier Frontier Airlines in June.

Frontier's departure left Delaware as the only state without direct
commercial airline service.

Source: Charter flights to Cuba now leaving New Castle Airport -
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/delawareinc/2015/08/31/jfi-jets-offering-charter-flights-cuba-new-castle-airport/71477714/