Cubana de Aviación
| File:Cubana de Aviacion Logo.jpg | |||||||
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| Founded | 1929 as Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss | ||||||
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| Hubs | José Martí International Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | Juan Gualberto Gomez Int'l Airport Frank Pais Int'l Airport Antonio Maceo Int'l Airport Jardines del Rey Int'l Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Club Tropical | ||||||
| Alliance | Alliances | ||||||
| Fleet size | 38 (+4 orders) | ||||||
| Destinations | 41 (2007) | ||||||
| Parent company | Corporación de la Aviación Civil S.A | ||||||
| Headquarters |  Havana, Cuba | ||||||
| Key people | Ricardo Santillán Miranda(CEO) | ||||||
| Website | www.cubana.cu | ||||||
Cubana de Aviación is Cuba's largest airline and flag carrier. The airline was founded on October 8, 1929, and has its corporate headquarters in Havana, Cuba. Cubana's main base is at José Martí International Airport. It was a founder and is a current member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Association of Aeronautical Telecommunications (SITA) and the International Association of Latin American Air Transportation (AITAL). In 2004 the airline celebrated its 75th anniversary.
Cubana has 32 international representatives and 13 offices in Cuba. Since May 1959, the airline has been wholly owned by the Cuban government and its current official name is Cubana de Aviación S.A. (or Cubana Airlines in English). Prior to that time Cubana was a private company, owned by Cuban investors. Those investors were expropriated without compensation when the airline was nationalised, after Fidel Castro came to power. Claims against the expropriation have been filed in U.S. courts, but the lack of formal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba have prevented negotiations to resolve them.
History
Early Years
Cubana was established on 8 October 1929 as "Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss", indicating its association with the Curtiss aircraft manufacturing company. It was one of the earliest airlines to emerge in Latin America. Among Cubana's predecessors were the "Compañía Aérea de Cuba" (founded in 1919), and the "Compañía Aérea Cubana" (founded in 1920). Those companies, however, were dissolved soon after they started, due to the difficult economic conditions affecting Cuba in those years.
Cubana de Aviación Curtiss started services in 1930 with Curtiss Robin aircraft, followed by Sikorsky S-38 hydroplanes and Ford Trimotors. Hydroplane service linked Havana with the coastal mining areas in the eastern part of Cuba, while the land-based Curtiss Robin and Ford Trimotor aircraft served the major provincial cities. The Curtiss Aviation School, owned by the Curtiss airplane manufacturing company, had trained Cuban pilots starting in the 1910s, thus creating the expertise necessary for the emergence of Cubana. Among the early Cuban aviation aces of that time was Agustín Parlá, a 1912 graduate of the Curtiss School, who had headed the "Compañía aérea de Cuba" in 1919.
Visits to Cuba by famous aviators, and news about their exploits, favored Cubana's start-up. They generated interest in aviation and its commercial possibilities in Cuba, at a time when civil aviation was mostly a recreational activity. Among them were the Spanish aviator Domingo Rosillo who completed the first Key West to Havana flight in 1913, French aviators André Bellot and Charles Nungesser in 1924, and the American Charles Lindbergh and his "Spirit of St. Louis" airplane in 1928. After Cubana's founding the Spanish aviators Mariano Barberán and Joaquín Collar, who completed the first-ever nonstop transatlantic flight from Spain to Cuba in 1933, helped promote interest in long-distance aviation.
Pan American Airways (then known as Pan American Airways System or PAA) bought Cubana in 1932, and the word Curtiss was deleted from the airline's name. Twin-engine Lockheed Electra L-10 aircraft joined Cubana's fleet in 1934, allowing the airline to extend its routes within Cuba. This expansion of Cubana's routes was accompanied by the creation of Cuba's Civil Aviation School in 1936, which was headed by Cuban aviation ace Ramiro Leonard. The school trained many aviators who would join Cubana's expanding operations. By 1940, Cubana's fleet had a total of 12 aircraft, all of which were used in the airline's growing domestic network.
The Lockheed Electras were followed by the Douglas DC-3 in 1944 and the Curtiss C-46 in 1946. In 1944 the name of the airline was changed to Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A. A majority share in the airline was then sold to Cuban investors in that year, with Pan American Airways retaining a 42% stake. This change in majority ownership marked Cubana's ascendance as a Cuban enterprise, and a symbol of national pride. From 1944, Cubana would remain a private enterprise supported primarily by domestic capital.
In 1944, the first International Conference on Civil Aviation was convened, which later would lead to the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, currently based in Geneva, Switzerland). Cuba was a participant in this conference and a founding member of ICAO, helping set the framework for international agreements that would rule civil aviation during the second half of the 20th century. In April 1945, the conference that created the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was held in Havana. Cubana became a founding member of IATA, and participated in the creation of that organization through its involvement with the Havana conference and the resulting accords. Both conferences and the organizations they spawned helped establish Cubana as an internationally recognized airline company.
As a subsidiary of Pan American Airways from 1932 until 1944, Cubana's technical operations, aircraft livery, crews' uniforms and even the airline's logo closely followed those of Pan American (the PAA-style logo and livery remained in use until 1957). Cubana's route system within Cuba fed passengers to Pan American's international flights, providing connections through Havana. This relationship was similar to that of other Pan American Airways subsidiaries in Latin America, such as Mexicana de Aviación and Panair do Brasil.
During its first 16 years Cubana's routes were exclusively domestic. Its route system used Havana as its main hub, with frequent flights to the island's major provincial cities. Cubana's founding in 1929 had coincided with the opening of Havana's Jose Martí International Airport, allowing the airline to establish a permanent operational base there. During the 1930s, Cubana expanded its services to serve most every major city in Cuba. Then, the Second World War stymied Cubana's expansion, due to limited supplies of fuel and aircraft. By the end of the War, however, Cubana was ready to launch its first international route.
International Expansion
The first international flight was in May 1945 to Miami using Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The Miami route, because of its political and economic significance, would later prove to be an important part of Cubana's history. In April 1948 a transatlantic route was started between Havana and Madrid (via Bermuda, the Azores and Lisbon) using Douglas DC-4 aircraft. The Madrid route was extended to Rome in 1950. The new route to Europe made Cubana one of the earliest Latin American carriers to establish regular transatlantic service. Later, the DC-4s would be replaced by Lockheed Constellation L-049 and Super Constellation L-1049E aircraft.
In the early 1950s the airline purchased several Lockheed Super "G" Constellation L-1049G from the U.S., and jet-prop Vickers Viscount VV-755 aircraft from Britain to renovate its fleet. The Super Constellations allowed Cubana to start service to New York, Mexico City, and to increase frequencies to Madrid via Bermuda, the Azores and Lisbon. The Viscounts were used for its Miami and Nassau flights, and for its domestic services to Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba. Cubana's jet-prop Viscount flights to Miami from Havana and Varadero became popular with travellers on that route, because of their shorter flight time and superb onboard service. Cubana usually operated as many as five daily roundtrip Viscount flights between Havana and Miami year-round, with additional flights during holiday periods. The Miami route therefore became Cubana's main international source of revenue during the 1950s.
In 1954, the airline became fully Cuban-owned when Pan American Airways sold its minority stake. This marked Cubana's complete independence as a private Cuban enterprise. As Cuba's premier carrier, the airline strengthened its promotional efforts to cater to Cuba's growing tourism industry, particularly with American travellers. Cubana became a favorite of Cuba's growing middle class as vacation and business travel abroad increased, due to the island's growing economy. The PAA-style logo and aircraft livery Cubana had used since the 1930s were scrapped in 1957, and a modern look compatible with the advent of the jet age was adopted (the new livery and logo were retained until the late 1960s). Cubana also undertook a modernization of its fleet, opting to replace its long-range piston-prop Super Constellations, and to expand its jet-prop Viscount fleet in the near term.
In 1957, Cubana placed orders for four Vickers Super Viscount VV-818 and four long-range Bristol Britannia BB-318 aircraft, all jet-props, for its international services (which included Madrid, New York, Mexico City, Miami, Montego Bay, Nassau, Port-au-Prince), and for some of its domestic routes. The new Britannias and Viscounts allowed Cubana to become the first Latin American airline to fly only jet-prop aircraft in all its international routes. By the late 1950s, Cubana was the Latin American airline with most experience in the operation and maintenance of British-made jet-prop aircraft. It also had one of the most advanced fleets in Latin America.
The new Britannias and Super Viscounts entered service in 1958 and 1959, and provided the only jet-prop flights to Cuba at a time when U.S.-flag carriers and all other airlines flew there only with piston-prop aircraft. On 17 January 1959 one of Cubana's new jet-prop Britannias set a record on the New York-Havana route, flying it in 3 hours 28 minutes, the fastest ever for a commercial flight at that time. Cubana's Britannias also began to displace competing airlines on the Mexico City and Madrid routes, flying the routes faster while providing excellent onboard service. Similarly, Cubana's jet-prop Viscounts and Super Viscounts on the Miami flights flew the route faster than competing carriers, with excellent inflight service and amenities upon arrival in Havana. The Miami and New York routes thus became a major source of revenue for the airline. In 1958, Cubana placed an order for two Boeing 707-139 jets, becoming one of the first Latin American carriers planning to purchase this new passenger jet (the order was cancelled in 1960, when U.S.-Cuba relations deteriorated). Throughout the 1950s Cubana was in the forefront of aviation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Revolution and Socialism
After Fidel Castro came into power in 1959, the airline was nationalised, and the private passenger airline Aerovías Q and private cargo carriers Cuba Aeropostal and Expreso Aéreo Interamericano, were merged into Cubana. At that time, Aerovías Q operated Douglas DC-4 and Curtiss C-46 aircraft (modified for passenger use), while Cuba Aeropostal and Expreso Aéreo Interamericano used Douglas DC-3 and Curtiss C-46 freighters. Aerovías Q had many daily flights from Havana's Columbia Airport (at the time a mixed use civilian-military airport adjacent to the Miramar district) to Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Cuba's Isle of Pines (now named Isla de la Juventud), but its operations were moved to José Martí International Airport as a result of the merger. Cuba Aeropostal had frequent cargo flights to Miami and within Cuba, while Expreso Aéreo Interamericano operated cargo flights to Central America and the Caribbean.
The merger of these airlines with Cubana effectively consolidated Cuban commercial aviation under complete government ownership. Cubana's name was changed to Empresa Consolidada Cubana de Aviación S.A., to reflect its nationalisation and merger. By early 1961 Cubana had to discontinue its U.S. routes, which included Miami and New York, along with the merged Aerovías Q's and Cuba Aeropostal's services to Florida. Rising tensions between the U.S. and Cuban governments, threats to impound aircraft in retaliation for the nationalisation of American properties, and the breaking of diplomatic relations between the two countries were the main causes for the cancellation of the routes. After 1960, the quality of Cubana's passenger services and technical standards declined markedly. Many of the airline's most experienced crews and technicians went into exile, reducing its pool of skilled personnel and the quality of service. Political problems inside Cuba, obstacles to emigration, and U.S. government policies toward Cuba also led to occasional hijackings.
Despite these problems, in 1961 Cubana expanded transatlantic services to Prague (in addition to its existing Madrid route) using its Bristol Britannia jet-props. This was the first regular air service by a Latin American airline to Eastern Europe. Cubana also ceded one of its Britannias to Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA) so that it could start its own Prague-Havana flights, in cooperation with Cubana's services on that route. Cubana's crews trained CSA personnel in the operation of the Britannias. This allowed CSA to establish its first-ever transatlantic service in 1962.
With the imposition of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, Cubana had to turn to the Soviet Union to obtain new aircraft. Although the Bristol Britannias were kept in service, all the airline's Viscounts (VV-755) and Super Viscounts (VV-818) were sold in 1961 and 1962 to other carriers (Cunard Eagle, Trans-Australia, and South African Airways). The first Soviet-built aircraft type delivered was the Ilyushin IL-14 in 1961. Later, Ilyushin IL-18, Antonov AN-12, AN-24 and AN-26 aircraft followed. With the arrival of the Ilyushin IL-62, Cubana was able to replace its aging Britannias and start all-jet service to Europe on its already existing routes to Madrid and Prague via Gander, Canada. A fleet of Tupolev TU-154, Ilyushin IL-76, Yakovlev YAK-40 and YAK-42, and the more advanced Ilyushin IL-62M followed later for its transatlantic, Latin American and domestic services. As a result, Cubana became the Latin American carrier with most experience in the operation of Soviet-built aircraft. Agreements with Soviet-bloc nations supported Cubana's technical capabilities, and although passenger service became comparable to that of Soviet-bloc airlines, its quality remained far below pre-1960 standards.
In the 1970s, Cubana also leased Douglas DC-8 aircraft (previously in service with Air Canada) for its Canadian, Caribbean and Guyana services. These aircraft were leased with support from the Canadian government, as part of bilateral trade agreements between Canada and Cuba. They allowed Cubana to gain experience operating U.S.-built jets and made up for delays in deliveries of Soviet-made aircraft. Some of the DC-8s were lost in accidents or sabotage incidents, however, and their lease was terminated in the late 1970s.
In 1975 Cubana's old Bristol Britannias, then held in reserve, were pressed back into service to ferry elite Cuban troops to Angola. The Britannias were modified (with additional fuel tanks placed inside the passenger cabin), to allow non-stop flights from Cuba to Africa and provide greater secrecy. Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez wrote articles in 1976 narrating the role of Cubana's Britannias and its pilots in flying the first contingent of elite Cuban troops, done in complete secrecy, which prevented the invading South African army from occupying Luanda when Angola declared independence.
By early 1980, Cubana flew scheduled services to Eastern and Western Europe (Prague, East Berlin, Moscow, Madrid, Paris, Lisbon), Sub-Saharan Africa (Luanda), the Middle East and North Africa (Baghdad, Tripoli), Canada (Montréal, Toronto, Gander), and to various Latin American and Caribbean destinations (Mexico City, Panama, Managua, Lima, Kingston, Barbados, Port of Spain, Georgetown). A route to Vietnam was under consideration at that time but was never started.
Post-Cold War Era
After the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cubana sought to lease or buy Western-built aircraft. The company leased medium-range Airbus A320 aircraft from Air Transat of Canada and long-range McDonnell Douglas DC-10 wide-bodies from French airline AOM. Cubana also acquired several Fokker F-27 jet-props from Iberia Airlines of Spain, and Sud Aviation ATR-42 jet-prop aircraft to sustain its short-range routes. From 2001, Airbus A330 and occasionally Boeing 747 and Boeing 767 wide-body aircraft were also leased from various European carriers, to support its transatlantic services and Cuba's rapidly growing tourist traffic.
With the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Cubana faced the formidable challenge of improving passenger service. Substantial flight delays, sometimes lasting days, and very uneven passenger service marred Cubana's attempts to attract passengers to what was essentially a company operating with Soviet-bloc airline service standards. Despite efforts in the 1990s, the quality of Cubana's passenger service remained far below pre-1960 standards, when it was considered comparable to, or even better than, that of U.S.-flag airlines. To make matters worse, technical deficiencies and low staff morale added to the airline's difficulties as it tried to compete for passengers in Western Europe, Latin America, and Canada. A series of fatal accidents in the 1990s compounded Cubana's troubles, leading to a negative reputation among many travellers. Beyond these problems, occasional hijackings of Cubana's domestic flights also made it difficult to improve the airline's image and its competitive position, compared with other carriers flying to Cuba.
In the 1990s, despite these troubles, Cubana established new routes to Western Europe and Latin America, to cater to Cuba's rapidly growing tourism industry.
Cubana's new 1990s routes covered:
- In Europe: Geneva, London, Manchester, Rome, Milan, Copenhagen, Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, Helsinki, Barcelona, Las Palmas, Vitoria, Santiago de Compostela
- In South America: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Bogotá, Caracas, Mendoza, Quito, Guayaquil, Montevideo
- In Central America: Cancún, Guatemala City, San José de Costa Rica
- In the Caribbean: Santo Domingo, St. Maarten, Montego Bay, Fort de France, Nassau, Grand Cayman, Pointe a Pitre
In the 1990s Cubana also undertook many special flights involving humanitarian missions. When in 1998 the hurricanes George and Mitch caused great damage in Central America and the Caribbean, for example, Cuban medical brigades and first-aid provisions were flown to Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua in Cubana aircraft. Cubana has also flown sporting delegations from Cuba and other Caribbean nations to international competitions, particularly the Central American and Pan-American Games. The airline's strategic importance to Cuba's foreign relations and to its tourism industry is well understood by the Cuban government.
Modernization
After the 1990s, spare parts for Cubana's Soviet-built aircraft became harder to find. Also, the obsolescence of its Soviet-built fleet required urgent attention for the airline to have any chance of competing with other carriers serving Cuba and its rapidly growing tourism industry. Cubana's management therefore made efforts to renovate its fleet and in 2005 received several new long-range Ilyushin IL-96-300 wide-body jets from Russia, to replace some of the leased Western-built wide-bodies and its aged Soviet-era aircraft. New medium-range Russian Tupolev TU-204 jets were also ordered. The new IL-96 and TU-204 jets were financed with the assistance of the Russian government.
Cubana refurbished some of its aging Ilyushin IL-62M aircraft in recent years, to use them in some of its international routes. The IL-62M aircraft are used for special flights within Latin America and to Africa. The airline's limited financial resources and the lack of Western financing to replace these aircraft made it necessary to keep them in service despite their age. Also, restrictions imposed by the U.S. embargo on the sale of American-built aircraft and components (such as engines and avionics) made it necessary to keep the IL-62M and other Soviet-built aircraft in service.
Cubana's long-term modernization strategy is based on the purchase of new Russian-built aircraft. Although the airline's long-standing experience with Russian aircraft (and their Soviet predecessors) may play a role in this strategy, the most important factor seems to be the financing provided by aircraft companies such as Ilyushin and Tupolev, with the assistance of the Russian government. The efficiency and performance of the most modern Russian aircraft, such as the IL-96 and TU-204, compare well with aircraft built by Airbus and Boeing. The much lower purchase price of Russian aircraft makes them attractive to government-owned airlines with limited financial resources. The Russian government's eagerness to strengthen what remains of its aircraft industry has undoubtedly also played a part in the financing of new aircraft to Cubana.
As part of its modernization strategy, Cubana has sought to upgrade its technical support capabilities. The airline established a joint venture company with Iberia Airlines of Spain in 2005, to maintain and overhaul Western-built aircraft, including all Airbus and Boeing models. Technical facilities are located in Havana and several other Cuban cities served by foreign carriers. The joint venture company, IBECA (incorporating Iberia's and Cubana's initials), is 50% owned by Cubana. It has contracted with various airlines flying to Cuba to provide maintenance and technical support. Expertise gained through this venture are likely to help Cubana's technical capabilities with its new Russian aircraft, since they share many features with Western-built airplanes.
Cubana's modernization efforts are also related to the airline's strategic importance for the Cuban government and its foreign relations. New Ilyushin IL-96-300 wide-bodies and also old IL-62M aircraft, showing Cubana livery, but with specially configured executive cabins and medical facilities, are typically used by Cuban government officials on trips abroad. Those aircraft are never used on commercial flights, and they are maintained and kept under close guard at a military airport near Havana. Cubana's pilots have typically served in the Cuban air force, and are well versed in the operation of multiple types of aircraft.
See Miscellaneous for additional information.
Destinations
Cubana de Aviación operates flights to over 40 destinations in Cuba, Europe, the Caribbean, North, Central and South America.
Alliances
Cubana de Aviación has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of January 2007:
Aeroflot Russian Airlines: Through this alliance, Cubana offers nonstop service from Havana to Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport.
Blue Panorama Airlines: Through this alliance, Cubana codeshare flights with Blue Panorama to Rome and Milan from various destinations in Cuba.
Air Europa: Through this alliance, Air Europa and Cubana operate 9 weekly flights from Madrid Barajas Airport to Havana and Santiago de Cuba.
Aerocaribbean: With this agreement, Cubana offers more domestic destinations and more Caribbean destinations.
Aeropostal: Through this alliance, Cubana offers daily flights to Caracas Simon Bolivar International Airport.
Copa Airlines: With this agreement, Copa Airlines and Cubana operate 14 weekly flights (twice daily) to Panama City from Havana.
Air Jamaica: With this agreement, Cubana codeshares with Air Jamaica to Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Fleet
Passenger fleet
The Cubana fleet includes the following aircraft (at January 2007): [citation needed]
| Aircraft | Number | Passengers (Tropical*/Economy) |
Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 4 | 150 (12/138) | North America | Mexico City, Montréal, Toronto routes. Leased from TACA (EI-TAA, EI-TAB, EI-TAC and EI-TAE) |
| Antonov An-24D | 10 | 48 (48) | Regional domestic | All economy class configuration |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 2 | 260 (12/248) | Europe | One aircraft itself is in livery of Air Europa and the other in livery of Blue Panorama, being leased from these two partner airlines |
| Ilyushin IL-62M | 10 | 158 (8/150) | South America, Caribbean & Gran Canaria | Medium to long-haul worldwide routes |
| Ilyushin IL-96-300 | 3 (1 on order) | 262 (18/244) | Europe, South America & Toronto | 1 more on order. Cubana took delivery of two new Ilyushin IL-96-300 jets in 2006 and one more in 2007. (CU-T1250, CU-T1251 & CU-T1254) |
| Tupolev Tu-204-100 | (2 on order) | Replaces: Old short-medium haul fleet | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-42RV | 7 | 120 (120) | Domestic, Central America & Caribbean | All economy class configuration. |
Cubana Cargo fleet
Cubana Cargo offers a load transportation service inside Cuba and in more than 40 countries. The Cubana Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft as of January 2007:
| Aircraft | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 727-200F | 2 | Leased from AllCanada Express |
| Tupolev Tu-204C | (1 on order) | Replaces: Leased 727s |
Among other types of cargo aircraft used in the past were the Ilyushin IL-76 and the Antonov AN-12.
Club Tropical lounge
Members of 'Club Tropical', the VIP club, can take advantage of an open lounge with all kinds of Cuban liquor and beverages on the airport. The Club Tropical Lounge can be found at the Havana's José Martí International Airport, Varadero's Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport, Cayo Coco Jardines del Rey Airport, Holguin's Frank Pais Airport among others. The special drinks served, are Havana Club rum, Mojitos among other Cuban drinks.
On board
Tropical Class (First Class/Business)
Cubana's first class, Club Tropical Class cabin is fitted with 61" pitch seat configuration. Enjoyment and relaxation is heightened by dedicated check-in at the airport, a generous baggage allowance, use of the VIP lounge, fast track in the airport, Champagne upon boarding the aircraft, assortment of beverages that are provided throughout the flight, an option of three different plates at the time of lunch/dinner, a fully reclining seat and attentive personal service.
Economy Class
The Economy class cabin is fitted with 32" pitch seat configuration, complying with all requirements for long haul flights, alcoholic drinks to purchase, hot lunch/dinner, free drinks plus a cold snack before touch down on all international flights, and attentive service. Onboard entertainment options include Hollywood movies, programs presented by Aerovision, the Cubana airline in-flight channel. There is also a wide selection of music for private listening, or the in-flight magazine, called Sol Y Son, for interesting articles and information about the people and life in Cuba.
In-flight food
Cubana Airlines offers a variety of meals, depending on seat class, destinations and flight length. For long haul flights Cubana offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Economy breakfast on the Boeing 767-300ER and IL-96-300 for long hauls (Paris, Madrid, London, Rome, Milan, Buenos Aires) Cubana serves natural muffins, currant bun, fruits, salad, bread, jam, butter, cheese; for lunch it's serve celeriac and jam salad, beef with potatoes and string beans, bread, butter, cheese, chocolate-filled roll; and for dinner raw vegetables, beef with rice, carrot and string beans, bread, butter, biscuits, and chocolate cake.
For medium hauls, onboard the Airbus A320 and the Il-62M (Toronto, Montréal, Mexico City, São Paulo, Gran Canaria, Bogotá, Caracas, Santo Domingo) Cubana's economy class offers ham, chorizo, cheese slices, bread roll, chocolate muffin, jam and butter for lunch; chicken, roast beef, cheese slices, cucumber and tomato pieces, bread roll, butter, jam, fruit salad, black forest and cake square for dinner.
For short hauls, onboard the Yak-42 and ATR-42 the offered meal is a snack, one ham sandwich, one cheese sandwich and a pack of Orion chocolate cream biscuits and soda to drink.
Cubana's Club Tropical class onboard the B-767, A320, IL-62M, and IL-96-300 lunch is served by Cuban salad of leaf lettuce, carrots, and tomato, then steamed lobster medallions with a tomato garlic mayo, and the entree of filet mignon, rice, and carrots, a cake square followed by bread and Danish cheeses. Drinks included are Marques de Caceras Rioja, red and white, Freixinet Cava Sparkling to begin, Havana Club 7 year old dark rum after lunch, and Cuban espresso.
Entertaiment
Onboard entertainment is presented by Aerovision, the Cubana airline in-flight channel. Options include the latest Hollywood movies, and interesting informational and nature videos called Destiny Programs. There is also a wide selection of music for private listening.
- Aerovision In-flight Programs by Destinations:
- Aerovision European flights television programs are: Inside The Caiman, 2 Hollywood films, All About Cuba 3, Come Closer 3, Wake Up Program, Onboard Sale Program, and Variet Dinner.
- Aerovision Brazil/Argentina inflight television programs are: Natual Vision, Inside The Caiman, Hollywood film, Wake Up, and Dinner.
- Aerovision Canadian inflight television programs are: Natural Vision, and a Hollywood film.
- Aerovision Venezuelan flights: All About Cuba.
- Aerovision Colombia/ Dominican Republic inflight television programs are: Natural Vision.
- Aerovision Mexico inflight television programs are: Natural Vision 3, and Natural Vision 6.
Magazine
Cubana Airlines in-flight magazine, Sol Y Son, offers interesting articles and information about the people and life in Cuba. The magazine is provided to all Tropical/ Economy class passengers on all flights. Sol Y Son magazine has 14 years of circulation, it has also acquired a leading position in the international magazines of Cuba, not only because of the amount of distributed copies that are destined to a third part of the visitors and to the majority of Cuban travellers, but also because of its content. Passengers have the first impressions of the country through this magazine.
Miscellaneous
- Cubana was the first Latin American airline to establish scheduled service to Miami, in 1946.
- Cubana was one of the first Latin American carriers to start regular transatlantic services, in 1948.
- Cubana was the first airline in Latin America to operate jet-prop aircraft, starting with the Vickers Viscount in 1956.
- Cubana was the first Latin American carrier to fly jet-prop aircraft across the Atlantic, using Bristol Britannias on its Madrid route, in the late 1950s.
- Cubana was the first Latin American airline to fly to Eastern Europe, with scheduled service to Prague starting in 1961, using jet-prop Bristol Britannias.
- Cubana was the first Latin American airline to fly Soviet-built aircraft, operating eight different types of short-, medium- and long-range Soviet-made airplanes between 1961 and 1991.
- Cuban leader Fidel Castro travelled in one of Cubana's Britannias to Caracas, Washington and New York in January and the spring of 1959, his first official trips abroad after taking power. The Britannia Mr. Castro flew in was christened "Libertad" (freedom).
- In October 1960, Fidel Castro flew in one of Cubana's Bristol Britannias to New York, to address the United Nations General Assembly. The Britannia he travelled in was temporarily impounded to allegedly settle debts incurred by the airline with a Miami advertising agency, and to try to compensate one of Cubana's confiscated stockholders. A total of three impoundment orders were issued by U.S. courts. Castro then returned to Havana in one of Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev's aircraft, an Ilyushin IL-18. Cubana's Britannia was later returned to Cuba.
- Argentine-Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara flew in Cubana's Britannias on official trips abroad, which included Egypt, the Soviet Union, China, and various nations in eastern Europe in 1960, Brazil and Uruguay in 1961, New York to address the United Nations' General Assembly in December 1964, Algeria, China and various eastern and western African nations in late 1964 and early 1965, among others.
- When French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and author Simone de Beauvoir visited Cuba in 1960 they flew there in a Cubana scheduled flight, aboard one of the airline's legendary Bristol Britannias.
- In the early 1960s many of Cubana's most experienced pilots and management went into exile. Among them was Cubana's longstanding chief pilot, William Cook, and the airline's former president, Sergio Clark. Pilots who went into exile were not allowed to return or visit Cuba again.
- During the early and mid-1960s many aspiring revolutionaries flew to Havana in Cubana's Britannias, for meetings and training. Among them was the East German-Argentine Tamara Bunke (nom de guerre: Tania), who died in Bolivia fighting alongside Che Guevara in 1967.
- Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda flew to Havana on Cubana, usually on scheduled flights from Mexico City during the 1960s. When Cubana started a route to Santiago, Chile in 1971, Neruda was one of the first passengers to fly it. Ilyushin IL-62 aircraft were used on that route.
- After Cubana started service to Prague in 1961, one of its Britannias was ceded to Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA), so that it could start its own Prague-Havana service as a counterpart to Cubana's. CSA had no long-range aircraft in its fleet, and the use of Cubana's Britannia allowed it to start its first-ever transatlantic service in February 1962. Cubana crews trained CSA personnel in the operation of the Britannia.
- Since the 1960s, revolutionary guerrilla fighters from Colombia, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Nicaragua, El Salvador and other nations often flew to Cuba for medical treatment and training, on special Cubana flights. In the 1960s, many of them flew to Cuba from Prague in Cubana's or Czechoslovak Airlines' Britannias, since at that time most Latin American nations had no diplomatic relations with Cuba. The only regular flights available during that time between Cuba and the rest of Latin America were Cubana's from Mexico City, which were closely monitored by Western intelligence agencies.
- In the 1970s and 1980s, Cubana's Ilyushin IL-62, IL-18 and IL-76 aircraft frequently carried Cuban military and medical personnel to Ethiopia, Syria, Vietnam, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and other nations, in special flights.
- Cubana aircraft typically carry Cuban medical and disaster relief personnel to areas affected by natural disasters throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.
- Cuba's growing biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical tourism sectors rely greatly on Cubana's passenger and cargo services.
- Cubana is the only major Latin American carrier flying Russian-built airplanes, and in 2005 became the first Latin American airline to operate the Ilyushin IL-96 wide-body jet in its scheduled transatlantic and South American routes.
- Cuba's national sports teams usually fly on Cubana to major international events.
- In the film The Godfather Part II, when Michael Corleone left Havana he boarded a Cubana aircraft.
- The similarly named Kuban Airlines is an unrelated airline based in Krasnodar, Russia.
Incidents and accidents
Cubana de Aviación has been involved in 43 incidents and accidents between 1950 and 2003 with 544 fatalities. (Note: only fatal accidents are listed before 1990)
- On September 3, 1989, a Cubana de Aviación Ilyushin 62M (CU-T1281) on a non-scheduled international passenger flight from Havana (Jose Marti International Airport), Cuba to Cologne/Bonn (Cologne Bonn Airport), Germany crashed shortly after take-off. All of the 115 passengers and 11 crew members as well as 45 persons on the ground were killed and the aircraft was written off. Most of the passengers were Italian tourists, who returned from holidays.
- On August 29 1998, a Cubana de Aviación Tupolev 154M (CU-T1264) on a scheduled passenger flight from Quito (Mariscal Sucre Airport), Ecuador to Guayaquil (Simón Bolívar International Airport), Ecuador crashed after the crew aborted the take-off with only 800 metres left of the runway. The aircraft overran the runway before coming to a stop. 56 of the 77 passengers and the entire crew of 14 were killed as well as 10 people on the ground, and the aircraft was written off.
- On December 21 1999, a Cubana de Aviación McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 (F-GTDI) on lease from AOM French Airlines on an international non-scheduled passenger flight from Havana (Jose Marti International Airport) suffered a landing accident at Guatemala City (La Aurora International Airport), Guatemala. The aircraft overran runway 19 and continued down a steep slope before coming to rest in a residential area. 8 of the 296 passengers and 8 of the 18 crew as well as 2 people on the ground were killed and the aircraft written off.
- On March 31, 2003, a Cubana de Aviación Antonov An-24 (CU-T1294) on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Nueva Gerona was forced to fly to Key West, Florida by a man with hand grenades. The plane had to stop in Havana (Jose Marti International Airport) for refueling. In Havana at least 26 of the 40 passengers and 6 crew members in the plane escaped or were released. The aircraft then proceeded on to Key West (Key West International Airport) where the FBI awaited the plane.
Former Names
- 1929-10-08 Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss, S.A. - (Associated with the Curtiss aircraft manufacturing company.)
- 1932-03-22 Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación S.A - (Purchased from Curtiss by Pan American Airways).
- 1944-03-21 Compañía Cubana de Aviación, S.A. - (Controlled by Cuban investors)
- 1959-05-25 Empresa Consolidada Cubana de Aviación - (Merged Aerovías Q, Cuba Aeropostal and Expreso Aéreo Interamericano into Cubana.)
- 1961-06-27 Empresa Consolidada Cubana de Aviación - (Nationalized)
- 1996 Cubana de Aviación S.A. -(Current name)
See also
References
External links
Official websites
- Cubana de Aviación
- Cubana Argentina - www.cubanadeaviacion.com.ar
- Cubana Russia - www.cubana.ru
- Cubana UK - www.cubana-uk.com
- Sol Y Son - Cubana Airlines Inflight Magazine