US Transportation Department Revokes Restrictions on Air Services Between US, Cuba

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is revoking Trump-era restrictions on air transportation services with Cuba, according to a US Department of Transportation order on the matter.

"By this Order, the US Department of Transportation (the Department or DOT), acting at the request of the Department of State, revokes previous actions restricting certain air services between the United States and Cuba," the order said on Wednesday evening.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the termination of civil air restrictions on flights between the United States and Cuba in support of the Cuban people and US foreign policy interests, the order said.

The policy changes took effect immediately upon issuance, the order added.

Moreover, Juan Gonzalez, senior director for the Western Hemisphere at the US National Security Council, said on Wednesday that the US is in respectful discussions with Mexico regarding the latter's request to invite Cuba to the Summit of the Americas next week.

"We have just had very respectful conversations with Mexico, and the Mexican President requested that Cuba [be invited to] the summit," Gonzalez said when asked about the option of inviting someone from the Cuban government. "The approach that we’ve taken is to talk to the leaders in the region, talk to Mexico … We are still having some final considerations," Gonzalez told a briefing.

Meanwhile, the island nation reportedly said last week that it does not plan to attend the gathering.

Thaw in US-Cuba Relations

Earlier, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US is stepping up support for Cubans by relaunching a program that includes expanding visa and consular services, lifting some restrictions on money transfers, and making it easier for family members to visit the US.

In early May, the US Embassy in Havana reported that after a hiatus of several years, it had resumed processing applications for issuing immigrant visas to Cuban citizens. During the period of the US diplomatic mission's absence in Havana, citizens of the island nation who wished to migrate to the US were forced to personally apply to submit documents to the American missions in Colombia and Guyana.

The closure of the embassy and the withdrawal of a significant portion of US diplomats from Cuba occurred in December 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. He then referred to the health incidents of the diplomatic staff, which were dubbed the "Havana syndrome".

Relations between the two countries temporarily improved under former President Barack Obama. During his two presidential terms, diplomatic relations were restored, trade and cultural exchanges were resumed, and American travel to Cuba was again allowed. This culminated in the removal of Cuba from the list of terrorist sponsors in 2015, as well as Obama's visit to Havana in 2016.

The so-called "thaw" ended when Trump assumed his post in the White House. He reintroduced restrictions on trade and business relations between the two countries, and in 2021, shortly before the end of his presidential term, Trump returned Cuba to the list of countries that are sponsors of terrorism.