Americans allowed to fly to Cuba for first time since Trump administration

Travel to island for tourist activities remains prohibited

A man sells beans inside a state-run market in Havana. Many Cubans expressed hope the restoration of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the US will mean greater access to jobs and the comforts taken for granted elsewhere. Desmond Boylan / AP Photo

Yosuan Crespo, a private real estate agent, poses in front of his office in Havana. Many Cubans are already imagining a more prosperous future after the US said it will put an end to 50 years of conflict with the communist-run island. Reuters

Two women chat at a window of a cafe in Havana. The Cuban private sector is confident that US measures to begin normalising relations with the communist island would improve business activity. Alejandro Ernesto / EPA

A photo of revolutionary icon Che Guevara is displayed on top of a TV in Havana. The restoration of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States has unleashed expectations of even more momentous changes in Cuba. Ramon Espinosa / AP Photo

A car drives past the building of the the US diplomatic mission in Cuba. Desmond Boylan / AP Photo

People line up to take the bus outside the Capitolio in Havana, Cuba. Ramon Espinosa / AP Photo

A man sells tomatoes on a street of Old Havana in Havana. Ramon Espinosa / AP Photo

Old American cars in a street of Havana. Fidel Castro imposed a law after assuming power in 1959 that prevented anyone without government permission from importing foreign automobiles. Yamil Lage / AFP

A street entertainer waits for tourists in Old Havana. The normalisation of ties between the US and Cuba could be a boon to the poor and isolated country. Desmond Boylan / AP Photo

Bank notes from various countries are displayed on the wall of a beverage shop Havana. Desmond Boylan / AP Photo

A double-decker bus waits for tourists to board in Old Havana. Enrique De La Osa / Reuters

US president Barack Obama's policy shift towards Cuba would allow American businesses to export goods such as building materials, farming equipment and communications infrastructure to the island. Above, A tangle of old and new electrical circuits sit on a wall in a building in Havana. Ramon Espinosa / AP Photo

A woman stands on the street in downtown Havana. Many Cubans are already imagining a more prosperous future after the US said it will put an end to 50 years of conflict with the communist-run island. Alexandre Meneghini / Reuters

Americans will be able to fly to Cuba again after President Joe Biden's administration revoked a series of flight restrictions enacted under former president Donald Trump.

The plan would include an end to prohibitions on US flights to Cuban airports other than Havana.

The US Transport Department issued the order at the request of Secretary of State Antony Blinken who said the action was “in support of the Cuban people and in the foreign policy interests of the United States”.

Travelling to the island will still be a complicated process for Americans, however, and tourist-related visits remain prohibited.

The White House last month had signalled the planned move as part of a broader revision of policy towards Cuba.

“We will make it easier for families to visit their relatives in Cuba and for authorised US travellers to engage with the Cuban people, attend meetings and conduct research,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said last month.

But the move was met with criticism from some US politicians. Democrat Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement at the time that lifting the travel restrictions would send the “wrong message to the wrong people, at the wrong time and for all the wrong reasons”.

“I am dismayed to learn the Biden administration will begin authorising group travel to Cuba through visits akin to tourism,” he said.

The Biden administration also loosened restrictions to allow for increased visa processing, including at the consulate in Havana, though most will still be processed at the US embassy in Guyana.

The State Department said it would also remove the family remittance cap of $1,000 per quarter and support remittances to Cuban entrepreneurs.

“We are going to ensure that remittances flow more freely to the Cuban people, while not enriching those who perpetrate human rights abuses,” an administration official said.

Reuters contributed to this report