Freight American Airlines to launch Cuba cargo service

American Airlines will be the first US American passenger airline to offer belly cargo services from the US to Cuba. The airline now provides mail services which include correspondence, parcels and express mails from and to the International Airport of Havana.

David Vance, American's vice president – Cargo Operations, said: “As the leading U.S. carrier to Cuba we are excited to launch cargo service to the island [...] Our teams on the ground in the U.S. and in Cuba have worked hard to make this a reality. This new service will benefit families in both countries.”

Havana is being connected with the US through daily flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport with Airbus A319 aircraft. Furthermore, the capital of Cuba experiences four daily flights from Miami International Airport. In October, the route will be served five times a week due to strong demand, with Boeing 737-800.

In a statement, the airline wrote: "American has served Cuba since 1991 – with charter service for more than 25 years and with scheduled service since September 2016. The addition of mail service will further strengthen American’s commitment to serving the needs of customers in the U.S.-Cuba market."

American Airlines is one of the biggest airlines worldwide and operates a fleet of over 950 aircraft. Airbus A319, A320, A321, A330, Boeing B737, B757, B767, B777, B787, ERj190 and McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and -83 belong to the fleet. The carrier owns the 200-fleet strong regional subsidiary American Eagle, which operates with Canadair CRJ200, CRJ700, CRJ900, ERJ135 and ERJ175 aircraft.

Recently, the carrier has announced that it will drop two of its regional carriers and that it will order 15 Bombardier CRJ900 and 15 Embraer 175 for American Eagle.