On 30 March 2018, or “Good Friday” to millions of followers of Christ in the United States and in the Republic of Cuba, the Trump Administration quietly provided a further monetary lifeline to the government of the Republic of Cuba and, specifically, to entities within the country controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) of the Republic of Cuba. 

It was a very good Friday for the Republic of Cuba.  If the newly-allocated flights are at capacity on an annual basis, the total value (including their roundtrip airfares) of passenger expenditures could be approximately US$495 million; at 60% capacity, the value could be approximately US$300 million.

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) could have denied any or all of the applications by United States airlines for additional service to the Republic of Cuba, using the phrase that permitting such activity would be “inconsistent with United States policy” as the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury has for decades when an application for an activity is denied.  For example, the U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition held in Havana, Republic of Cuba, in September 2002, was denied a license by the OFAC for three years before inter-agency review and approval by the United States Department of State.