Washington, Rabi'I 6, 1437, Dec 17, 2015, SPA -- The United States announced Thursday the resumption of regular commercial flights to and from Cuba, the latest step in a historic thaw in relations. “On December 16, the United States and Cuba reached a bilateral arrangement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries,” the State Department said in a statement. According to the statement, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs Thomas Engle led the American interagency delegation, and Ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez led the Cuban delegation. “While U.S. law continues to prohibit travel to Cuba for tourist activities, a stronger civil aviation relationship will facilitate growth in authorized travel between our two countries – a critical component of the President’s policy toward Cuba,” the State Department said. --SPA 19:19 LOCAL TIME 16:19 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w