NEW YORK, USA — JetBlue on Thursday expanded its service to Cuba, operating the airline’s first flight to Camagüey’s Ignacio Agramonte Airport (CMW). With daily nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Camagüey becomes the second city served by JetBlue on the island nation since operating the first commercial flights in more than 50 years between the US and Cuba in August.
The new Camagüey route further advances JetBlue’s plan to usher in a new era of affordable and convenient air travel to Cuba.
“Camagüey is the latest move in our commitment to Cuba following our historic first flight in more than 50 years from the US earlier this year,” said Robin Hayes, president and CEO, JetBlue. “With today’s inaugural flight to Camagüey, we bring low fares and our award winning service to yet another new market where customers have faced expensive and complicated service for too long.”
Situated nearly 350 miles to the east of Havana, Camagüey was settled in the early 1500s and today its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring urban squares and historic architecture.
Camagüey expands JetBlue’s Caribbean presence and the airline’s overall reach to 98 cities in 22 countries across the US, Caribbean and Latin America. It also continues to grow JetBlue’s presence at its Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood focus city where it is the No. 1 airline offering flights to more than 50 nonstop destinations. Beyond Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Camagüey is now a convenient connection away from many JetBlue cities.
“We commend the work of both US and Cuban officials for making today possible. We extend our deep appreciation to the Cuban Ministry of Transportation, IACC, and the Camagüey Airport for entrusting us to operate this route and look forward to our long-term partnership as we continue to grow our presence in Cuba,” Hayes said.
With affordable fares in each of its Cuban markets, JetBlue has also removed the high costs and complexity of travel to Cuba:
• Affordable fares: JetBlue offers a low starting fare to make Cuba more accessible to those visiting family members or traveling to Cuba for cultural, business or group travel.
• Health insurance included: JetBlue includes Cuban government-required health insurance coverage for all travelers on all Cuba-bound flights so that customers do not have to worry about obtaining the insurance separately.
• Affidavit in a few clicks: Under US regulations, every customer traveling to Cuba must complete an affidavit affirming the customer is going for one of 12 reasons of approved travel from the US Department of Treasury. JetBlue has built the completion of the affidavit right into the booking process so it can be finished in only a couple of clicks.
•Day-of-travel Cuban Tourist Visa (Tourist Card): Separate from the US-regulated 12 categories, Cuba requires visitors to obtain an entrance visa onto the island. For customers who qualify for a Cuban Tourist Visa (Tourist Card), JetBlue will make those available for purchase upon check-in at one of its gateway airports or at the gate for connecting customers on the day of travel. All travelers to Cuba should make their own determination with respect to the appropriate type of visa required by Cuba for their purpose of travel.
JetBlue’s commercial service follows nearly five years of successful charter service operating multiple routes between Cuban markets and US cities.