“This is a novelty for me, to be able to fly direct without having to travel to a third country,” said Orestes García Vásquez, 68, who was traveling from Villa Clara to South Florida.

“This allows me to save time and money.”

Cuba and the United States agreed to allow up to 90 daily round-trip flights between the two nations, the Department of Transportation said. Six airlines have been approved for flights to nine Cuban cities other than Havana, but not all of them have announced their schedules.

Mr. Foxx said far more airlines had expressed interest in flying to Havana, the capital, than could be accommodated.

“I haven’t seen anything like it,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Department of Transportation announced that Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines would operate the coveted Havana flights. The airlines will fly from Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Fort Lauderdale; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Newark; New York; Orlando, Fla.; and Tampa, Fla.

Calling it “good pressure,” Mr. Foxx acknowledged that Cuba would have to improve its airport infrastructure to be able to handle the increased flow of airlines. The country is notorious for poor airport facilities, and passengers often endure hourslong waits because baggage carousels or staircases needed to disembark are tied up.

José Ramón Cabañas Rodríguez, Cuba’s ambassador to the United States, said the country’s 10 international airports were safe and secure and had fielded nearly 5,000 charter flights from the United States last year. He added that the flight on Wednesday was yet another first for the two countries announced in the past few months.

“We hope that in the near future, all remaining obstacles that limit further exchange between the two countries will be removed,” he said, referring to the American trade embargo, which remains in place.