• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 08 / 03 / 2011

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By Kimberly Morgan. Yahoo! Contributor Network. Tampa, Fla., has been given the green light to begin hosting non-stop flights to Cuba. Until now, Tampa's Cuban-American community, if they wanted to visit relatives in Cuba, had to make the trek to Miami before continuing on -- a drive that takes anywhere from 4-5 hours.

The move is a boon for Tampa, whose 140,000 Cuban-Americans will have not had the benefit of airport service to the embargoed island nation for half a century. The commute to TIA, at an hour and a half, would likely appeal to many; that's roughly the same amount of time it would take the average Tampa resident to drive to Orlando.

According to ABC Charters, Inc., a Carrier Service Provider that's been approved to provide service to Cuba, the once- or twice-weekly flights could begin as early as Sept. 10, according to a statement issued by the Tampa International Airport.

Smooth Operators

Additionally, the expansion of flights to and from Tampa will likely give the city street cred among international travelers, the local business community and even investors who formerly had limited options for travel to Cuba. To anyone who's traveled in Florida, navigating your commute through TIA trumps Miami International Airport any day of the week.

The St. Petersburg Times estimates that about 30 percent of the travel coming through Miami originates in Tampa. Considering Cuba has just granted landing rights to Tampa flights, and Ft. Lauderdale is next on the list of major Florida cities to apply for the same clearance, it stands to reason that Florida's major airports will all benefit from the new arrangement.

So will Cuba ... it's a win-win.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

On the other hand, it's the families of those Cuban-Americans who will presumably benefit from the humanitarian aid and increased financial assistance gained from the visits from their families in the States. In 2009, President Obama lightened restrictions on travels between Cuba and the United States, the intent being that families could bring much-needed relief from the embargoes on their nation and the shortages that most Cubans suffer.

Also of note is the $2,000 business allowance now permitted, giving any American a means by which to help Cuban business owners financially -- a direct monetary gift.

It's naturally in Cuba's best interests to approve landing privileges to those municipalities whose airports seek a perch in their country. The relief and goods entering the country ease the hardship suffered by the Cuban people, and it's undeniable that there's something gained by the government itself, whether it comes in the form of recognition and validation, or whether it literally injects their floundering economy with goods and cash.

It may only be an economic vitamin, but the move will likely stimulate the economies of both Florida and Cuba, if only in the short-term.

Kimberly Morgan has lived, learned, taught and raised a family in Central and South Florida for the past four decades. If there's something happening in her home state, she's got it covered.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/direct-flights-cuba-benefit-island-nation-sunshine...