Air Capital Insider

Air Capital Insider

Wheels Up to Cuba

By Jerry Siebenmark

jsiebenmark@wichitaeagle.com
A Wheels Up Beechcraft King Air 350i on display at the 2016 National Business Aviation Association Convention in Orlando, Fla.
A Wheels Up Beechcraft King Air 350i on display at the 2016 National Business Aviation Association Convention in Orlando, Fla. Jerry Siebenmark The Wichita Eagle

Textron Aviation customer Wheels Up has begun offering flights to Havana, Cuba.

The New York-based private aviation membership company said it is providing the flights to its more than 3,500 members using the company’s fleet of Beechcraft King Air 350is and Cessna Citation Excel/XLS business jets.

Wheels Up founding partner Justin Firestone said in a news release that the company so far has arranged 150 flights to the capital city of Cuba after President Obama lifted a trade embargo and ban on U.S. tourism there.

Wheels Up also said that it has established an on-the-ground booking assistance program in Cuba.

The company’s fleet currently comprises 55 King Airs and 15 jets. In 2013, Wheels Up announced an order for as many as 105 King Air 350is.

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Wheels Up to Cuba."

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