Scheduled passenger flights between the US and Cuba could resume as early as this fall.
Eight airlines have now been tentatively awarded rights to operate a total of 20 daily flights between the US and the Cuban capital, Havana.
In June, the Transportation Department authorized six US carriers to fly to some or all of nine secondary airports in Cuba.
The airlines had asked for nearly 60 Havana roundtrips a day, but only 20 were available.
Airlines that won rights, which are to be confirmed this summer, were Alaska Air Group Inc., American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp. , Southwest Airlines Co. , Spirit Airlines Inc. and United Continental Holdings Inc.
They will be allowed to operate flights between Havana and Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa, Fla., Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, N.J. and New York.
The nonstop flights will be to areas of substantial Cuban-American population, as well as to important aviation hubs, according to the Transportation Department.
