Delta has returned to Havana. The US carrier has recommenced its operations at José Martí International Airport, with the first flight taking off on April 10th. The Atlanta-based airline returned to operating in Cuba in 2016 for the first time in 55 years after the United States Federal Government removed restrictions on commercial passenger travel. However, the airline suspended operations with travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic in force during 2020. With travel demand now booming, the airline has restored its Cuban connection. Previously reported last year by Simple Flying, the airline had planned to resurrect its Havana connection with the Airbus A320; however, as per Flightradar24, Delta looks to operate the Boeing 737-8 on the route. Its first flight this Easter weekend was operated by the airline's 21-year-old 737, registration N3759.<br/>
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Korean Air, in the late 1970s, lured Western travelers with a “Seoul Shortcut.” It was making reference to the advantageous location of its Seoul hub, for routes between North America and Asia. Fast-forward 40-some years and Seoul remains ideally situated for North America-Asia flight connections. One only has to look as far as the Korean Air and Delta Air Lines transpacific joint venture, and the latter’s decision to funnel U.S.-Asia traffic into Seoul, to see the strength of that location. Tokyo benefits from the same geographic advantage with partners All Nippon Airways and United Airlines, and Japan Airlines and American Airlines, pushing connections over the city’s Narita and Haneda airports. Seoul and Tokyo’s geographic strengths as connecting hubs remain unchanged. Now, as air travel in Asia rebounds from the Covid pandemic, western geopolitical tensions with both China and Russia stand to benefit both gateways and their local carriers. Pandemic caps on flights between China and the US remain in place amid strained relations between the countries. Before Covid, there were up to 50 flights a day between the countries; today there are only 20 flights per week, Diio by Cirium schedules show. Both Chinese and US airlines want to resume more flights but, as yet, their governments won’t allow them. At the same time, travel demand between the countries has surged since China eased border restrictions in January. The latest data from the US International Trade Administration show that the number of passengers arriving or departing on nonstop flights with China jumped nearly fourfold to more than 48,000 people in January and February compared to a year earlier when border restrictions were in place. The numbers do not include travelers who connect in a third country, like Japan or South Korea. In January and February 2019, 1.34m people flew on nonstop flights between China and the US. The result is a classic imbalance in supply — of nonstop seats — and demand for US-China travel. Story has more. <br/>