Flights to Cuba added from Tampa

Tampa International Airport will become the fourth U.S. airport allowed to have flights to Cuba under travel restrictions relaxed by President Obama, airport officials said Monday.
 
Tampa (TPA) will join Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Miami International Airport (MIA) as the only airports with charter flights to the island, which had been a banned destination for almost 50 years.
 
Obama recently moved to allow some groups to travel to Cuba, though he did not reverse the entire ban on tourists. Passengers to Cuba have to have close relatives on the island or prove they are traveling for school or religious purposes.

Tampa airport officials hailed the approval from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to operate flights to and from Cuba, which is just 90 miles from the southern coast of Florida. They noted the state’s large Cuban-American population.
 
"We are very excited to be named a new gateway airport for Cuba,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano said Monday. “This announcement will result in much easier and more efficient travel for our considerable Cuban-American community.” 
 
Airport officials said three charter airlines — Air MarBrisa, Island Travel & Tours, Ltd., and ABC Charter — have expressed interest in operating flights from Tampa to Cuba.
 
Flights could begin by summer or early fall, TPA officials added.