Off the wire
• Africa Focus: S. African ruling party views allegations over Gupta family in "serious light"  • Discussions enter substantive phase as Syrian talks make progress: envoy  • Africa Economy: Spat between finance minister, Hawks spooks South Africa's rand  • S. Africa to explore Brazilian market: minister  • Feature: Financial nightmare in Cyprus still haunts people's memory three years later  • Ex-Brazil striker Adriano set for April debut with Miami United  • 3 killed in separate attacks in southern Burundi  • 2nd LD: Fed keeps interest rates unchanged, citing global risks  • S. African deputy finance minister says Guptas offered him position of finance minister  • 1st LD Writethru: Oil prices rally as supplies add less than expected  
You are here: 　 Home

First mail flight arrives in Cuba from U.S.

Xinhua, March 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

The mail links between the U.S. and Cuba were restored on Wednesday, with the arrival of the first mail flight in Havana.

Shortly after 10am, a SAAB 340 plane from IBC Air landed at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, reported the Cuban News Agency (ACN).

Carlos Rodriguez, an inspector from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ceremonially delivered a letter to Carlos Asensio, president of Correos de Cuba, the state-owned postal company. This letter formally re-initiated the direct sending of letters and parcels between the two countries, and was followed by an exchange of postal seals, specially designed for this occasion.

Correos de Cuba Vice President Zoraya Bravo told ACN that, from March 25, three weekly flights would leave Miami for Havana on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and that all post offices in both countries were now accepting mail to be sent on this route.

Bravo said that this new service would guarantee speedy and secure delivery. The issue of security was of crucial importance to Cuba since a parcel bomb was sent on a direct naval shipment from New York in 1968 and exploded at the Cuban Ministry of Communications.

The restoration of direct postal services was part of the steps laid out by Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama to normalize relations. Enditem