U.S. air marshals will be aboard some of the flights between
the U.S. and Cuba when commercial airline service between the two countries
begins at the end of this month.
“For security reasons, we will not divulge which flights the
air marshals will be aboard,” the TSA said in statement emailed to Travel
Weekly.
The marshals will board flights pursuant to an aviation
security agreement reached by the U.S. and Cuba. The TSA declined to say when it
entered that deal.
Federal air marshals, the agency said, “serve as an active
last line of defense against terrorism and air piracy, and are an important
part of a multi-layer strategy adopted by the U.S.”
JetBlue will launch the first regularly scheduled commercial
flight between the U.S and Cuba on Aug. 31 with service from Fort Lauderdale to
Santa Clara.
The DOT has tentatively selected eight carriers to fly a
total of 20 flights per day between the U.S. and Havana. Those flights are
expected to begin in the fall or early next year.