Alaska Airlines becomes first commercial flight from West Coast to Cuba

Record ID: 163136

  • Title: Alaska Airlines becomes first commercial flight from West Coast to Cuba
  • Date: 6th January 2017
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (JANUARY 5, 2017) (REUTERS) SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR ALASKA AIRLINES, JOSEPH SPRAGUE, AND DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR JOSE MARTI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JUAN CARLOS QUINTANA, CUTTING RIBBON OFFICIALS STANDING IN FRONT OF ALASKA AIRLINES PLANE WITH U.S. FLAG AND CUBAN FLAG "ALASKA" WRITTEN ON SIDE OF PLANE PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR ALASKA AIRLINES, JOSEPH SPRAGUE, SAYING: "We're the largest airline on the West Coast of the United States and so to be the only airline to provide West Coast non-stop service to Cuba is just fantastic for us. And so we look forward to bringing many Americans from the West Coast of the U.S. to Cuba and hopefully bringing Cubans to visit the West Coast of America." GENERAL VIEW OF PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF JOSE MARTI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JUAN CARLOS QUINTANA, SAYING: "With Alaska Airlines, we have the eight airline and we have 20 daily flights that are authorised to fly here to the Jose Marti International airport." PASSENGERS WALKING WITH BAGGAGE A WOMAN STANDING WITH BAGGAGE WITH SUNSET BEHIND (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN PASSENGER ON ALASKA AIRLINE, KENNA, SAYING: "It´s so much easier not having to go all the way across the country, it's that much easier to get here, and I know that for everyone that has wanted to come here it's just so much easier to make it happen now. So, it's very exciting". VIEW ACROSS HAVANA´S MALECON WATERFRONT TOURISTS SITTING ON THE MALECON (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST FROM SAN FRANCISCO, EVAN, SAYING: "Even though Cuba is so close to the U.S. the flight time actually took a lot longer so I think having a non-stop flight really is very important. Especially for Americans, we don't have a lot of time". VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH STREETS OF HAVANA EXTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL
  • Embargoed: 21st January 2017 01:10
  • Keywords: first commercial flight Los Angeles Alaska Airlines
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015XT1F7N
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The U.S. Company Alaska Airlines became the first airline on Thursday (January 5) to operate flights between the West Coast of the United States and Cuba, with a Seattle-Los Angeles-Havana trajectory which will take off daily.
    The first Boeing 737-900 from Alaska arrived in the Cuban capital on Thursday evening, carrying some 100 passengers, including representatives of the airline, politicians, businessmen and tourists.
    The inaugural flight was carried out as part of the company´s 85-year celebrations.
    "We're the largest airline on the West Coast of the United States and so to be the only airline to provide West Coast non-stop service to Cuba is just fantastic for us. And so we look forward to bringing many Americans from the West Coast of the U.S. to Cuba and hopefully bringing Cubans to visit the West Coast of America," said Senior Vice-President for Communications at Alaska Airlines, Joseph Sprague.
    Alaska Airlines is the eighth airline to have travelled to Cuba after having obtained approval from the U.S. Department of Transport to operate fights to the island in 2016. The other companies include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, JetBlue Airways, Southwest, Spirit and United.
    "With Alaska Airlines, we have the eight airline and we have 20 daily flights that are authorised to fly here to the Jose Marti International airport," said Director General of the airport, Juan Carlos Quintana.
    The new flights are expected to contribute to a continuing increase in tourists from the U.S. arriving on the island, which rose 68 percent in 2016.
    "It´s so much easier not having to go all the way across the country, it's that much easier to get here, and I know that for everyone that has wanted to come here it's just so much easier to make it happen now. So, it's very exciting," said Kenna, an American tourist travelling from Alaska.
    "Even though Cuba is so close to the U.S. the flight time actually took a lot longer so I think having a non-stop flight really is very important. Especially for Americans, we don't have a lot of time," added Evan, another tourist from San Francisco.
    Cuba welcomed an historic four million tourists in 2016, representing a 13 percent rise on the previous year.
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