Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio today sent a letter to President Obama asking him to support direct charter flights to Cuba from Tampa International Airport.

"The Tampa Bay area is home to many Cuban-Americans and their access to direct charter flights out of Tampa Internationational Airport would be of great convenience to them," she wrote.

"There is community support for this decision." Iorio serves on the board of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which oversees the airport. Currently, only New York, Los Angeles and Miami offer the flights.

Rep. Kathy Castor first started making the pitch for the direct flights more than a year ago, shortly after Obama lifted travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit their families in the island nation.

Spokeswoman Ellen Gedalius said Castor is working on the request with U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Bill Delahunt, chairman of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee. Gedalius said Castor hopes to meet soon with the National Security Council, which will make the final decision.