Cubana
Operator Identification
October 1929 to present
Cuba
TYPE: Airline
IATA/ICAO CODES: CU / CUB
HEADQUARTERS: Havana, Cuba
OTHER NAMES: Cubana de Aviacion
Operator History
Cubana de Aviacion was established by Clement Melville Keys on 8 October 1929. It was initially a flying school and a charter carrier, beginning scheduled services in 1930. The airline started with Curtiss as an early partner, providing several Curtiss Robins. Cubana later expanded with Sikorsky S-38 amphibians, Ford Trimotors and Lockheed Electras. Pan American acquired Cubana in 1932.
In 1944, Cuba was a founding member of ICAO, and the following year Cubana became a founding member of IATA, making it an internationally recognized airline. Most operations centered on the domestic market as Pan Am was not keen on Cubana competing with its own international services. However in November 1945, Pan Am's share was reduced to 52%, and eventually to zero in 1953. On 15 May 1946, Cubana started its first scheduled international flights to Miami, FL using Douglas DC-3s, and on 28 April 1948 a transatlantic route was started between Havana and Madrid, via Bermuda, the Azores and Lisbon, using Douglas DC-4s. Service to Mexico City and New York were opened in September 1953 and May 1956. In the 1950's, Vickers Viscounts and Britol Britannias joined the fleet.
In May 1959, Cuba's revolutionary government decided to take over Cubana, expropriating all its investors. Private passenger airline Aerovías Q and private cargo carriers Cuba Aeropostal and Expreso Aereo Interamericano were then merged on 27 June 1961 into Cubana, which had an initial state investment of 80%. With the USA breaking relations in 1961 and the imposition of an embargo on Cuba in 1962, Cubana was forced to cancel all its US services and turned to the Soviet Union to obtain new aircraft.
Commando Operations
1953 to 1962
Cubana operated only a handful Commandos. In May 1959, it inherited three additional units from Aerovias Q and Expreso Aereo Interamericano, which were phased out soon after the merger - the 1962 US embargo probably made flying American aircraft increasingly complicated. Two Commandos were put up for sale in August 1972.
Last edited: 30/10/2021