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(Reuters) ––
The government of President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked a series of restrictions against flights to Cuba imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Among the suspended measures is the ban on US airlines flying to Cuban airports other than Havana.
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued the order at the request of Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to the official, this action is taking place "in support of the Cuban people and for the foreign policy interests of the United States."
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Last month, the White House signaled it was making this decision as part of a broader review of Cuba policy.
Flight restrictions have been lifted with immediate effect.
The Trump administration issued a series of flight restrictions in 2019 and 2020 in an attempt to increase US economic pressure on the Cuban government.
Those measures included prohibiting US airlines from flying to eight international airports in Cuba outside of Havana, such as Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba.
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Under President Trump, the USDOT capped charter flights to Cuba at 3,600 per year and later suspended private charter flights to the island.
The department also banned charter flights to any Cuban airport except Havana.
Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Cuba "uses tourism and travel funds to finance its abuses and interference in Venezuela. Dictators cannot be allowed to profit from US travel."
When Trump was president, USDOT allowed authorized public charter flights to and from Havana and other authorized charter flights "for emergency medical purposes, search and rescue, and other travel deemed in the interest of the United States."
With U.S. airlines now facing full-capacity flights and some experiencing employee shortages, it's unclear how many new routes to Cuba could be added.
As a result of the order, the USDOT dismissed as debatable pending applications for emergency waivers and for the allocation of public charter flights from Havana.
Cuba flights United StatesRestrictions