JetBlue flight makes historic trip to Cuba

The first commercial flight from the United States to Cuba landed in Santa Clara this morning, ushering in a new era in relations between the two countries. The JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is the first of about 300 flights each week that will connect major U.S. cities to the island nation. Most passengers will be those with family ties to Cuba, travelers who previously used charter services to reach Havana. Tourism remains off limits, although Americans can request special permission to make “people-to-people” cultural and educational visits, including mission trips. Analysts expect about 300,000 U.S. visitors to travel to Cuba this year, tripling the recent number of passengers. Tickets for today’s flight cost about $200.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.