U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx (L), shakes hands with Cuba's Transport Minister Adel Rodriguez after signing an arrangement to restore scheduled air service between the two countries, in Havana, February 16, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Transportation officials from the United States and Cuba signed an arrangement on Tuesday to restore scheduled air service between the two countries, the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a statement.

The department invited U.S. air carriers to apply for the opportunity to provide scheduled passenger and cargo flights, launching a process to award the new flights, the statement read.