Seattle-based Alaska Airlines joins competition to fly to Cuba

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has entered the race to Cuba. Along with most major U.S. carriers, Alaska is vying to offer nonstop flights to the island nation.

“This is a historic event, not just in the airline industry but really in U.S. history,” said John Kirby, Vice President of Capacity with Alaska.

Kirby recalls that about 25 years ago, he wondered if commercial flights to Cuba would ever happen again.

“There hasn’t been scheduled air service to Cuba since 1961, over a half-century,” he said.

Nearly every major carrier has asked the federal Department of Transportation for permission to fly to Cuba, but only 20 flights per day will be granted.

That’s partly so Cuba isn’t overloaded with more tourists than it has the capacity to host.

Kirby says he expects Americans to be clamoring to fly to Havana, not only because it’s a gorgeous Caribbean island, but it will be the draw of the once-forbidden destination.

“In many ways, it’s a city that’s stood still. It goes back to the ’50s with the old cars and the architecture,” he said. “I think that’s going to be a tremendous lure for people all across the United States.”

Kirby is hopeful Alaska Airlines will make the cut. He says the federal government is pretty good at sharing the wealth.

Plus, Alaska and American Airlines are the only companies offering flights out of Los Angeles. Other carriers applied to depart from New York and Florida, places where there are quite a few Cubans — there are a million in the Miami area — but Alaska hopes Los Angeles can be the access point from the Western U.S.

The federal Department of Transportation will announce which lucky carriers get to fly to Cuba before the end of the summer.