Bobby Brooks is at Miami-Dade International Airport where dozens of people have jumped on some of the first flights to Cuba.
Planes will take to the skies Friday to head to a new destination...Cuba.
Early departures from Miami International Airport saw travelers boarding flights heading out to Havana.
Many of these early travelers were flying to the island to visit family members they haven't seen in years, a type of visit that is now, in many cases, permitted without a U.S. Treasury Department license under the new regulations.
Robert Blanco was one of them. He took off this morning for the first time in life to meet and visit extended family members there.
"Before this whole thing with Obama happened, I've been dying for years to go to Cuba," Blanco told NBC 6. "It's a coincidence really that this is all happening at the same time."
Even with the ease in restrictions on travel to Cuba, travelers must still meet certain criteria in order to qualify.
Anyone going to Cuba for reasons that include family visits, educational activities, humanitarian activities or journalism, will no longer need a license from the U.S. Treasury Department.
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Many in the pre-approved categories, however, will still need to obtain a visa from the Cuban government before they can travel to Cuba.
The change in regulations will also increase the amount of money allowed to be sent from someone in the U.S. to someone in Cuba from $500 to $2,000 per quarter. Authorized travelers who have family on the island can carry up to $10,000 during their visits.
