by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:25 AM ET, Thu December 12, 2019
Travelers who want to visit Cuba will have a difficult time flying to the destination after United States President Donald Trump's mandate banning airline service to all cities on the island besides Havana took effect Tuesday.
According to CNN.com, the Trump administration first announced the ban on commercial airline flights to nine destinations on the island in October following the Cuban government's support of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro.
The U.S. government believes the reduced number of flights to cities around the country will impact Cuba's economy and send a strong message. As airlines stop service to the island, though, private charter companies have started adding flights to meet the increased demand.
Cubazul Charter, a private operator based in Hialeah, revealed it already boasted 13 weekly flights to Cuba and was adding four more to new destinations in Camaguey and Holguin over the coming days.
"People are asking about our prices, schedules and (we are getting) many calls," Cubazul Charter's Gabriela Gomez said in a statement.
Another charter plane operator based in Miami, Aerocuba, said it is now operating 25 flights per week to five additional cities outside of Havana. The company said most travelers are heading to the island to see family members.
The Trump administration did not reveal a timeline on the ban, but critics of the legislation said the new rule hurts the people on both sides of the Florida Straits more than the Cuban government.
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