WASHINGTON  The United States has struck an agreement with the Cuban government to send medical evacuation flights with victims from the Haiti earthquake through restricted Cuban airspace, an official said, reducing the flight time to Miami by 90 minutes.

Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman, said late Thursday that an agreement had been reached with the Cuban military for evacuation flights from the United States Naval Station in Guantánamo Bay to pass through the airspace over Cuba on their way to Florida.

An arrangement already exists between the United States and Cuba permitting violations of airspace for emergency medical flights. But the Guantánamo base commander asked the local commander in Cuba to expand the authority to a standing basis, and Havana agreed, administration officials said.