Congresswoman Barbara Lee Announces New Direct Charter Passenger Flights Between Oakland International Airport and Cuba
For Immediate Release
June 8, 2011
Contact: Ricci Graham
510-763-0370
CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECT CHARTER PASSENGER FLIGHTS BETWEEN OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND CUBA
Significant announcement will strengthen people-to-people exchange between the Bay Area and Cuba
Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) is pleased to announce that Oakland International Airport (OAK) has received authorization by the United States Customs and Border Protection to begin offering charter passenger flights to Cuba.
This designation means OAK will be the only airport in the Bay Area authorized to provide direct, non-stop flights to Cuba. The decision to allow scheduled flights to Cuba is part of a broader effort by President Barack Obama to reach out to the Cuban people for academic, religious, humanitarian and news-gathering purposes.
Congresswoman Lee, who has been a catalyst for this effort to increase ties between the Bay Area and Cuba, noted the significance of this announcement, adding: “This new charter is another important step in moving beyond the outdated Cold War era policies of the past and turning to a new, productive page in U.S.-Cuba relations and hopefully will lead to more travel and exchange with Cuba. I have always believed that people-to-people diplomacy is the one of the most effective ways for strengthening ties between two nations. I am hopeful that today’s announcement will lead to many more Bay Area residents taking advantage of the opportunity to directly engage with the Cuban people.”
Said Port Board President James Head, “We applaud President Barack Obama and our Congressional leadership for loosening restrictions and facilitating U.S. travel between the Bay Area and the beautiful Caribbean island of Cuba. Offering regular air service eliminates borders and enables Cuban-Americans, businesses and organizations with purposeful travel from the Bay Area to fly to Cuba through Oakland International Airport.”
“The Bay Area is home to many world class universities as well as community organizations that will benefit from this approval,” said Deborah Ale Flint, Director of Aviation for the Port of Oakland. “We are pleased to be the San Francisco Bay Area’s designated airport to offer easy access to and from Cuba.”
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