If a preliminary decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation stands, the Washington region will have found itself bypassed in its efforts to land nonstop air service to Cuba.
DOT officials on July 7 released a list of 10 U.S. airports that have been selected to offer service to Havana, starting as early as the fall.
Eight different airlines – Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United – received authority to serve Havana. And while United won permission to serve the Cuban capital from two of its requested four airports (Newark-Liberty and Houston-Intercontinental), its bids for service from Washington Dulles International and Chicago-O’Hare were turned down.
“We are disappointed,” said Kate (Roche) Bates, president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, which was among business groups from the Washington region to lobby on behalf of Dulles.
