Fort Lauderdale, FL - U.S. budget airline JetBlue Airways Corp

said on Thursday it would launch scheduled commercial flights from the United States to Cuba on Aug. 31, ahead of competitors that have also announced departure dates.

The former Cold War foes agreed last year to restore regular airline services after more than five decades as part of a broader detente in which they also resumed diplomatic ties.

U.S. travel to Cuba was long an expensive and complicated endeavor. Given a U.S. ban on tourism to the island, most Americans could visit only as part of an organized group tour.... Read More: VIN