NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT IS ONE OF 8 AUTHORIZED NEW FLIGHTS TO CUBA

Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans was one of eight cities that have gained federal approval to schedule charter flights to and from Cuba, opening new gateways for Cuban Americans to visit relatives in the communist island nation and for other limited travel, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on March 8. In addition to New Orleans, CBP officials said such charter flights can now be scheduled from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport, as well as Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and international airports in Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Previously, such flights were only allowed from Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The decision to add airports comes as part of an expanded effort to reach out to the Cuban people announced by President Obama earlier this year.