Direct air service between Cuba and Guatemala resumed Thursday, this time through the airline Aerocaribbean, in partnership with the Guatemalan tour operator Junior.

Top officials at La Aurora airport in Guatemala City and with Havana's Embassy in Guatemala met with reporters to watch the arrival of the inaugural flight, received with a traditional water arch ceremony on the auxiliary runway.

The airport manager of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Diego Armando Sierra, told Prensa Latina he was satified at the renewed presence of planes from Cuba at this location.

He pointed out the productive relationship of years, with the utmost seriousness and respect, with Cuba's flagship airline: Cubana de Aviacion.

For his part, the Cuban Embassy's business attaché, Eliseo Zamora, praised the continuous efforts of Junior general manager Marco Vinicio Coronado, whose father began Guatemala's sustained trade relations with Havana through that company.

Estuardo Andrade, head of the allianceâ?Ös operations in the Guatemalan capital, stated that for the time being, operations had begun with small ATR-72 aircraft, such as the one that arrived on Tuesday with 18 passengers aboard.

However, if demand increases, the airline will opt for a higher capacity unit, the Boeing 737-200, while the IL-18 will be devoted to cargo charters.

The frequency of this connection will be twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Sundays, with a stopover in the neighboring country of Belize on Wednesdays.

The benefits are several, not only economic, and one of the most important is to provide transport for the large group of Cuban collaborators in this Central American nation, it was announced.

Cuba's medical brigade alone -- with almost 12 years in this area -- has 360 members, in addition to education advisers for the "Yes, I Can!" literacy method and cooperation workers in sports.