Frontier Airlines, Silver Airways dropping service to Cuba

Frontier Airlines and Silver Airways are dropping air service to Cuba, saying other airlines are adding too many flights to the island nation and making the routes unprofitable. US airlines rushed to begin flights to Cuba last year after the Obama administration allowed commercial service for the first time in more than half a century. More Americans are visiting Cuba, but the glut of new flights has exceeded demand, resulting in many empty seats. Florida-based Silver said Monday that it will end Cuba service on April 22, just six months after it started flying between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Cuban provincial capitals like Camaguey and Cienfuegos. Several of its Cuban destinations are also served by major carriers such as American Airlines. Silver spokeswoman Misty Pinson said the number of seats on planes between the US and Cuba quadrupled because the airlines added so many flights, many of them with big planes. The glut of seats has made Cuban routes unprofitable for all carriers, she said. Frontier Airlines will cancel its daily flight between Miami and Havana on June 4, said a spokesman, because of heavy competition and higher-than-expected costs of providing service at the Havana airport.<br/>