Alaska Airlines to Start Havana Flights in January

Alaska Airlines will launch 1X-daily service to Los Angeles-Havana service on Jan. 5, 2017, the Seattle-based carrier announced Sep. 27. It will be the only nonstop Boeing 737-900 flight to Cuba from the U.S. west coast.

Alaska Airlines is one of eight US airlines granted permission by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Aug. 31 to begin scheduled flights between the US and Havana, Cuba.
Of the eight airlines, in addition to Alaska's announcement, four have already announced start dates for Havana service.
Chicago-based United Airlines will begin 1X-daily nonstop Havana service from Newark, New Jersey, on Nov. 29.
Beginning Dec. 1, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will launch 1X-daily nonstop service to Havana from Atlanta, Miami and New York-JFK, as will Florida-based low-cost-carrier (LCC) Spirit Airlines, with 2X-daily nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and Denver-based LCC Frontier Airlines, with 1X-daily Miami-Havana flights.
Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines has not released an official start-date announcement as yet, but the airline has already put tickets for its 4X-daily service from Miami on sale, with a start date of Nov. 28. American will fly a Boeing 737-800 on the route.
The two remaining airlines -- New York-based JetBlue Airways and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines -- have yet to announce specific start dates for their respective Havana flights.
All flights remain subject to approval by Cuban aviation authorities.

Mark Nensel, ATW Daily News
Photo: hsckcwong