The first direct commercial flight between the U.S. and Cuba in more than 50 years has taken off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, marking another historic thaw in relations between the two former Cold War enemies.
SEE ALSO:The streets of Old Havana, long before the colorful carsThe 9:45am JetBlue flight 387 will land in Santa Clara, Cuba, about 175 miles east of Havana, at a site renowned for the huge memorial that hosts the remains of revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
JetBlue is one of six carriers -- the others being American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and Silver Airways -- that will run a maximum of 110 daily flights to nine Cuban cities, according to the U.S. department of transportation.
“We do think it’s an important part of history,” Marty St. George, the executive vice president of JetBlue, told The New York Times. “From a challenge perspective, we know the drill. Cuba has some unique elements because of 50 years of history between the U.S. and Cuba, but we’re ready to go.”
After President Barack Obama decided to restore diplomatic relationships with Cuba in 2014, restrictions on travel to the communist-run island have eased.
Though tourism in Cuba is still illegal for U.S. citizens, there are now 12 categories of "authorized travel", including for educational, religious and humanitarian reasons.
Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the historic flight as "another step forward":
Tweet may have been deleted
JetBlue celebrated the route with salsa dancing and ribbon cutting:
Tweet may have been deleted
#HolaCuba! Our first flight to Santa Clara - the first commercial flight between the US and Cuba in more than 50 years - departs today!
Tweet may have been deleted
And people tweeted pictures of the plane:
Tweet may have been deleted
Finally, the aircraft's doors closed, ready for take off:
Tweet may have been deleted
(责任编辑：時尚)
Mall builds real
Jeff Sessions saying 'I don't recall' gets remixed into a catchy song
New images give us our first good look at Samsung's Galaxy Note 8
Families marching for LGBTQ rights around the globe
Dog elected for third term as mayor of Minnesota townAly Raisman catches Simone Biles napping on a plane like a champion
Simone Biles is exhausted. She won five medals at the Summer Olympics in Rio, posed for selfies with
...[详细]
Formula-E partner Roborace just hit another milestone on the road to fully autonomous, high-speed ra
...[详细]Instagram's algorithm is ruining my life with your Father's Day posts
As a rule, social networks are terrible at understanding their human users -- no matter the ooey-goo
...[详细]Parents' reaction to daughter's tattoo is priceless
Some people go to amazing lengths to show just how much they love their 'rents, but nothing can beat
...[详细]This coloring book is here for all your relationship goals
LONDON -- We are living through the golden age of celebrity relationships. Gone are the days of tort
...[详细]
A fishing vessel in the North Sea between the UK, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia found quite the c
...[详细]'Blade Runner 2049' footage drops with commentary from Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford
New footage from Blade Runner 2049has been released and it's incredible.The behind-the-scenes video
...[详细]More 'Handmaids' silently protest Ohio anti
As lawmakers across America continue to debate passing a new round of anti-abortion bills, women con
...[详细]One thing's for sure: you're never too old to learn. 。Massachusetts woman Clare Picciuto turned 100 F
...[详细]SpaceX sticks its second Falcon 9 rocket landing in 48 hours
Lucky number 13. SpaceX just performed its 13th rocket landing back on Earth after launching 10 comm
...[详细]Fyvush Finkel, Emmy winner for 'Picket Fences,' dies at 93
Google Drive's new Backup and Sync tool offers better file management
