WASHINGTON -- The Minnesota Orchestra will be able to fly directly from MSP Airport to Havana this coming weekend after the Customs and Border Patrol recently approved the airport as a "port of entry," officials from Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office said today.
The senator was pushing for the approval so the orchestra, and perhaps other Minnesota businesses, would be legally able to charter a flight to Cuba without going through another city.
The Orchestra will be the first U.S. orchestra to play in Cuba since President Barack Obama normalized some relations with the country last year.
MSP Airport is now one of 19 approved ports of entry.
This doesn't mean that one should expect commercial flights from MSP to Havana soon.
The Department of Transportation is still working on a process to authorize full commercial service to Cuba and charter airline companies must get a round of approval with the FAA before taking off for the southern island.
