Alaska Airlines has received tentative approval from the Department of Transportation for daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Havana, Cuba.
Alaska was the only carrier to propose daily nonstop services on the route.
"We applaud the DOT for making a fair and equitable decision given the high-level of interest and limited number of available departures," said Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden.
The Alaska Airlines flight will originate in Seattle with same plane service to Los Angeles and Havana.
The route is among 20 slots in Havana that were available to US carriers when the US government signed an agreement with Cuba to restore commercial air travel between the two countries after more than five decades.
The LA-Havana flight will be operated with a Boeing 737-900ER aircraft.
"Alaska looks forward to receiving a final order from the Department of Transportation and to starting service by the end of the year," added Tilden.
