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S. Fla.-based airline fined for paying to fly over Cuba

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Old Jun 30, 2008 | 5:19 am
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S. Fla.-based airline fined for paying to fly over Cuba

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/brow...ry/587859.html

Miramar-based Spirit Airlines has been fined $100,000 for paying the Cuban government for permission to use the island's airspace, constituting a violation of the long-standing U.S. embargo against the island.
According to a report by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Treasury Department, Spirit Airlines made several money transfers to Cuban government accounts from September 2004 to March 2007 without a valid license for such activity.
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Old Jul 4, 2008 | 10:32 am
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Maybe the fuel savings will finally force an end to some aspects of the embargo.

1. Flights over
2. Close vacation destination

Realistically it will only end when one of the current Cuban congressmen gets defeated.

Last edited by vietbet; Jul 4, 2008 at 12:45 pm
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Old Jul 4, 2008 | 10:22 pm
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Leave it to Spirit - any press is good press for those tools.
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 3:57 am
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Originally Posted by vietbet
Maybe the fuel savings will finally force an end to some aspects of the embargo.

1. Flights over
2. Close vacation destination

Realistically it will only end when one of the current Cuban congressmen gets defeated.
Or when US policy towards Cuba changes. Compared to past Administrations, the current one has actively been going after those doing business with Cuba - including travelers. Past administrations have looked the other way and didn't really enforce the rules.

Per the article, it seems Spirit made an oversight in not renewing their license to do business with Cuba.

I overfly Cuba on a regular basis when I take flights on American Airlines to Central/South America and parts of the Caribbean. The only difference is I presume AA's license to pay Cuba for overflight rights is current.

US carriers overfly "evil" nations when they need to despite US govt policy; I've flown over Iran at least a couple of times, if not more on international flights. A NWA flight even had to divert to Tehran a couple years ago.
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Old Jul 5, 2008 | 10:33 am
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Originally Posted by SDF_Traveler
Per the article, it seems Spirit made an oversight in not renewing their license to do business with Cuba.
This is the key. The non-renewal was the problem, not the overflight or the payments.

Originally Posted by SDF_Traveler
I overfly Cuba on a regular basis when I take flights on American Airlines to Central/South America and parts of the Caribbean. The only difference is I presume AA's license to pay Cuba for overflight rights is current.

US carriers overfly "evil" nations when they need to despite US govt policy; I've flown over Iran at least a couple of times, if not more on international flights. A NWA flight even had to divert to Tehran a couple years ago.
USA-India flights overfly Iran every day. Ditto for Cuba. The Cuba rule is actually relatively new. I think that it was 12 or so years ago that the airlines were allowed to start over-flying Cuba again. The rule was made bilateral when Cubana was granted extended rights in the USA instead of having to hug the coast and then go across New York. That part of the deal was negotiated in '97 or '98 (http://www.cubatrade.org/98hlights.html).
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