CAMAGÜEY.- The operations of the international airport Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz will be affected in a 50 per cent from next December 10, once the airlines JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are retired as a consequence of the measures announced by Donald Trump, president of the United States.

Because of the suspension of the flights from the American nation to nine destinations in Cuba, excepting Havana, the airfield of the Camagüeyan capital will be among the affected by the escalation of the economical, commercial and financial blockade set by Washington to Cuba.

Both companies arrive daily to the ramp of the local station, which means 14 air traffics that will not be received weekly anymore, although 13 will be kept, informed to the press Leudes Escobar Pino, its director.

Pioneer in the establishment of regular flights between the United States and Cuba in 2016, the company JetBlue arrived for the first time to the ramp of the “Igancio Agramonte” on November of that year.

It was the second destination in the country where it started operating, after opening the route between Fort Lauderdale, in Florida – state where most of the Cuban residents in the nation live -, and the city of Santa Clara, in the central province Villa Clara.

Meanwhile, American Airlines has linked Miami, also in Florida, with this city for three years, besides arriving every week to other five territories in the Island such as Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and the capital.

The Camagüeyan Manuel Reyes Gispert thinks that the strengthening of the restrictions by Trump’s administration with the alleged purpose of avoiding the influx of American tourism, is just an impediment for the Cuban residing in the northern nation to visit their families in the Island.

After over five decades of interrupting the direct flights between the two countries, these constituted a relief for the reunion of families, specially for the improvement in the service and the lower price of plane tickets.

Because of the efficiency and quality of the operations, American Airlines gave the Costumer Service Cup in 2018 to the Camagüeyan terminal, which stood out among 30 others throughout the world and was the first in the country to deserve the award, granted later to the international terminal in Varadero, Matanzas.

The recent arrival of about four hundred passengers in a direct flight from Moscow, of the airline Nordwind, to the international airport Ignacio Agramonte, marked the beginning of tourism high season in Camagüey. Photo: Rodolfo Blanco Cué / ACNThe recent arrival of about four hundred passengers in a direct flight from Moscow, of the airline Nordwind, to the international airport Ignacio Agramonte, marked the beginning of tourism high season in Camagüey. Photo: Rodolfo Blanco Cué / ACN

Nevertheless, in opposition to the retreat of the American airlines, new destinations link to Camagüey, such as the one made by Nordwind every 10 days coming from Moscow, Russia, since on day 2 of the current month was inaugurated the exchange and started the tourism high season in the territory with the arrival of around 400 passengers.

Over a hundred Canadians visit once a week the resort in Santa Lucía, to the north of the city, from Montreal, also since this month, through the airline Sunwing, which will double its operations from the coming December 18 with the arrival of a second flight, this time coming from Toronto.

Other airlines that maintain links with the “Ignacio Agramonte” come from cities of Haiti, Mexico and Guyana.