Editing Cubana de Aviación (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2012}}
{{Main|History of Cubana de Aviación}}
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===Early years to Cuban revolution===
[[File:Bristol Britannia 318 CU-T670 Lima 04.72.jpg|thumb|A Cubana Bristol Britannia 318 at [[Jorge Chávez International Airport]] in 1972. The carrier received the first of these aircraft in December 1958.<ref name="Flight1959-159" />]]

The airline was established by [[Clement Melville Keys]] on 8 October 1929 as Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss S.A., initially as a flying school as well as a charter [[Air carrier|carrier]], beginning scheduled services in 1930.<ref name="FI2004-59"/><ref name="Flight1958-535"/> The airline's name indicated its association with the [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company|Curtiss]] aircraft manufacturing company. Cubana's early fleet used [[Curtiss Robin]], amphibian [[Sikorsky S-38]], [[Ford Trimotor]], and [[Lockheed Model 10 Electra|Lockheed Electra]] (L-10) aircraft. [[Pan American Airways|Pan American]] acquired Cubana in 1932,<ref name="Flight1957-600" /> and the word Curtiss was deleted from the carrier's name. By the end of the decade, the carrier had a fleet of four Ford Trimotors and three Lockheed Electras that operated on the domestic Havana–[[Camaguey]], Havana–[[Guantanamo]]–[[Baracoa]] and [[Santiago de Cuba|Santiago]]–Baracoa routes.<ref name="Flight1939-433" />

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). Cuba was a participant in this conference and a founding member of ICAO. 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.

In May 1945 Cubana started its first scheduled international flights to [[Miami]], using [[Douglas DC-3]] aircraft, making the airline the first Latin American one to establish scheduled passenger services to this city. 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 scheduled transatlantic service.

In 1953, [[Airwork Services|Airwork]] sold Cubana three [[Vickers Viscount variants|Viscount 755]]s in advance of delivery.<ref name="Flight1956-27" /> Cubana was also the first Latin American airline to operate turboprop aircraft, starting in the mid-1950s with the [[Vickers Viscount]] (VV-755), which were put in service in its Miami and domestic routes, and later the Super Viscount (VV-818).

By March 1953, the carrier's fleet consisted of [[DC-3]]s and [[DC-4]]s.<ref name="Flight1953"/> A year later, the strength of the fleet was 11 —six DC-3s, three [[Lockheed Constellation]]s, one [[Curtiss C-46 Commando|C-46]] and one [[Stinson Aircraft Company|Stinson]]— while two [[Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation|Super Constellation]]s were on order.<ref name="Flight1954-676"/> Upon delivery of the first of these aircraft, in late 1954, the airline deployed it on the [[Mexico City]]–Madrid route.<ref name="Flight1954-816"/> Cubana transported more than 227,000 passenger in 1955, and by that year end it had 715 employees.<ref name="Flight1957-600" /> In May 1957, the airline ordered two [[Bristol Britannia|Bristol Britannia 318]]s, intended to serve New York and [[Spain]].<ref name="Flight1958-246"/><ref name="Flight1957-851" /><ref name="Flight1957-816" /> An order for another two aircraft of the type was placed in mid-1958; the combined deal was worth {{US$|14}}&nbsp;million.<ref name="Flight1958-246"/> Aimed at replacing the [[Douglas DC-7]]s on the Havana–New York route,<ref name="Flight1958-988" /> Cubana received the first of these aircraft in December 1958;<ref name="Flight1959-159" /> it was put in service on that route immediately after being phased in.<ref name="Flight1959-52" />

===Cuban revolution to 1980s===
[[File:Cubana Tupolev Tu-154B-2 Rioux.jpg|thumb|A former Cubana [[Tupolev Tu-154]] in 1985]]
In May 1959, Cuba's new revolutionary government decided to take over Cubana, expropriating all its investors. The private passenger airline Aerovías Q and private cargo carriers Cuba Aeropostal and Expreso Aéreo Interamericano, were then merged into Cubana, which was rebranded as Empresa Consolidada Cubana de Aviación and had an initial state investment of 80%; it started operations on 27 June 1961.<ref name="FI1964-510" /> The airline had expanded earlier that year its scheduled transatlantic services, adding [[Prague]] to its European route network that solely included Madrid.{{efn|There exists a discrepancy as to whether these flights started in February 1961,<ref name="FI1962-560"/><ref name="Flight1961-27"/> or in April the same year.<ref name="FI1972-73"/>|group="nb"}} Having stopovers at [[Bermuda]] and the [[Azores]], the route was flown with Bristol Britannia 318s.<ref name="FI1972-73"/> Cubana later sold one of its Britannias to [[Czech Airlines|Czechoslovak Airlines]] (CSA) so that this carrier could start their own Prague–Havana flights.<ref name="Flight1961-797"/> Cubana trained CSA's personnel in the operation of the Britannias.<ref name="FI1972-73"/> CSA's new service started in February 1962 initially flying the Prague–[[Manchester]]–[[Glasgow Prestwick Airport|Prestwick]]–Havana route, and then switching to the Prague–[[Shannon Airport|Shannon]]–[[Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|Gander]]–Havana run.<ref name="FI1962-562"/><ref name="FI1962-238" />

With the U.S. breaking relations (in 1961) and the imposition of the [[United States embargo against Cuba|U.S. embargo]] on Cuba (in 1962), Cubana was forced to cancel all its U.S. services and turned to the [[Soviet Union]] to obtain new aircraft. The first Soviet-built aircraft were delivered in the early 1960s ([[Ilyushin Il-14]] and [[Ilyushin Il-18|Il-18]]), and were used in Cubana's domestic routes. Cubana thus became the first airline in the Americas at that time to operate Soviet-built aircraft. During the decade, the [[An-12]] and the [[An-24]]s were also added to the fleet.<ref name="FI1966-50" /> Cubana's cooperation made it possible for [[Aeroflot]] to establish 18-hour non-stop scheduled services between [[Moscow]] and [[Havana]] in 1963, using [[Tupolev Tu-114]] turboprop airliners, which were the longest non-stop flights in the world at that time. Cooperation with the [[East German]] airline [[Interflug]] also made it possible for this carrier to establish its first scheduled transatlantic services, linking [[East Berlin]] with Havana.

In March 1970 the number of employees was 1,971; at this time the carrier{{'s}} fleet consisted of {{cardinal to word|5}} [[Antonov An-24B]]s, {{cardinal to word|4}} [[Bristol Britannia Series 310|Britannias 318]]s, {{cardinal to word|2}} [[Curtiss C-46 Commando|C-46]]s, {{cardinal to word|4}} [[DC-3]]s, {{cardinal to word|1}} [[DC-4]], {{cardinal to word|10}} [[Ilyushin Il-14|Il-14]]s and {{cardinal to word|4}} [[Ilyushin Il-18|Il-18]]s.<ref name="FI1970-479/480" />{{rp|480}} Regular services to [[Peru]], [[Chile]], [[Panama]], [[Guyana]] and several Caribbean destinations were started in the early and mid- 1970s. Cubana also began operating Tupolev [[Tu-154]], Ilyushin [[Il-76]], Yakovlev [[Yak-40]] and [[Yak-42]] jets in the mid-1970s. These aircraft made it possible to upgrade Cubana's domestic services and to expand or start new services to Central and South America, and to some Caribbean nations. Regular services to Canada were also started, as Cuba began to develop its tourism sector. Routes to Africa were started in the mid-1970s, serving [[Angola]], [[Guinea-Bissau]] and [[Cabo Verde]]. Cubana subsequently ceded one of its Il-62M jets to Angola's national airline [[TAAG]] so that it could start its own [[Luanda]]-Havana flights, in cooperation with Cubana's services on that route. This allowed TAAG to start its own, first-ever transatlantic route. In the late 1970s Cubana started services to [[Iraq]], becoming the first Latin American carrier to serve [[Asia]], although these services were discontinued in the early 1980s.

===1990s===
[[File:Cubana Il-62M CU-T1259 YYZ 1994-6-12.png|thumb|A Cubana [[Ilyushin Il-62M]] on short final to [[Toronto Pearson Airport]] in 1994]]

As of March 1990, Cubana had 5,658 employees and its fleet consisted of 12 [[Antonov An-24|An-24RV]]s, 26 [[Antonov An-26]]s, four [[Ilyushin Il-18|Il-18]]s, 11 Ilyushin Il-62Ms, two [[Ilyushin Il-76|Il-76D]]s, eight Tupolev Tu-154s (five Tu-154B2s and three Tu-154Ms) and 12 [[Yakovlev Yak-40]]s. At this time, the airline flew internationally to [[Barbados]], [[Basel]], [[Berlin]], [[Bissau]], [[Buenos Aires]], [[Georgetown, Guyana|Georgetown]], [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], [[Lima]], [[Luanda]], [[Madrid]], [[Managua]], [[Mexico City]], [[Montreal]], [[Panama City]], [[Paris]] and [[Prague]]; it also served a domestic network consisting of [[Baracoa]], [[Camagüey]], [[Holguín]], [[Nicaro-Levisa|Nicaro]], [[Nueva Gerona]], [[Santiago de Cuba]] and [[Las Tunas (city)|Las Tunas]].<ref name="FI1990-137-84" />

In the early 1990s, Cubana pursued a multi-faceted strategy to face the [[Special Period|challenges]] posed by the dissolution of the [[Eastern Bloc|Socialist bloc]] and the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union|Soviet Union]]. This strategy targeted a restructuring of Cubana's fleet, the revamping of the airline's technical capabilities, and upgrading the quality of passenger services. After the early 1990s, spare parts for Cubana's Soviet-built aircraft became increasingly harder to source. Limited financial resources and lack of Western financing to replace these aircraft, coupled with restrictions imposed by the U.S. embargo on the sale of American-built aircraft and components (including engines and avionics), made it necessary to keep some of the airline's Soviet-built airplanes in service. Cubana had received its last three new Il-62Ms in late 1990 and early 1991 [along with two other (also new) similar aircraft in 1988 and 1989], and was able to keep them in service long after the Soviet Union's dissolution and the end of all Il-62 production in the mid-1990s. Cubana started leasing some Western aircraft ([[Airbus]], [[Boeing]]) for limited periods of time in the mid-1990s, to help sustain its services to Europe, Canada and some Latin American destinations, given the rapid growth of Cuba's tourism sector.

===2000s and onwards===
[[File:Moscow Korovy Val 7 s1 2019-07 1563722644.jpg|thumb|Cubana sales office in [[Moscow]]]]
[[File:Havana airport T3.JPG|thumb|Cubana check-in counters at their home base at [[José Martí International Airport]]]]
In the early 2000s, Cubana refurbished several of its Il-62Ms to use on some of its international routes (all but one of these aircraft were removed from service in 2011), and in 2004 it embarked on a long-term renovation programme. The strategy is based on the purchase of $100 million a year in new generation Russian-built aircraft until 2012.<ref name="Russia expands a key aircraft market in Cuba"/> As of 2012, Cubana had completely renovated its fleet with new-generation Russian airliners. As part of its renovation 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, such as [[Airbus]] and [[Boeing]].

In July 2004, the airline placed an order for two convertible [[Ilyushin Il-96-300]]s in a {{US$|110|link=yes}}&nbsp;million deal;<ref name="Cuba Il-96-300s"/><ref name="Cubana takes first VIP Ilyushin Il-96"/> 85% of that price was financed by a loan from Roseximbank,<ref name="Russian loans for Cubana"/> while Cuba's Aviaimport raised the money for the balance.<ref name="Cubana’s Il-96-300 ready as VASO gets a boost"/> In December 2005, Cubana received the first of these aircraft,<ref name="Cubana takes first VIP Ilyushin Il-96"/><ref name="Russia completes 'hot and high' testing with Cubana Ilyushin Il-96-300 in Ecuador" /> becoming the first customer of the type beyond the [[Russia]]n borders.<ref name="Cuba Replaces Soviet-Era Passenger Aircraft"/> In April 2006, Cuba signed another deal —worth {{US$|250}}&nbsp;million this time— on behalf of Cubana for the purchase of another two [[Ilyushin Il-96-300|Il-96-300]]s and three [[Tupolev Tu-204]]s.<ref name="Other News - 04/11/2006"/> Two of these [[Tupolev Tu-204|Tu-204]]s, one passenger and one cargo version, were handed over to the carrier in {{MONTHNAME|6}} and August 2007, respectively.<ref name="Pictures: First Tupolev Tu-204 for Cubana prepared for delivery"/><ref name="PICTURE: Cubana takes delivery of first Tu-204 freighter"/> During the August 2007 [[MAKS (air show)|MAKS Airshow]] Cubana signed a [[memorandum of understanding]] with Ilyushin Finance Company (IFC) for the purchase of another two Tu-204s and three [[Antonov An-148]]s.<ref name="MAKS: Atlant-Soyuz customer for four 737-700s; Ilyushin sells 96 more aircraft"/> A Tu-204 freighter was never delivered to the company due to financing problems.<ref name="Russia delivers, barely"/>

In July 2012, Cubana de Aviación signed a contract with IFC for the delivery of {{cardinal to word|3}} Antonov An-158 aircraft.<ref name="Cubana de Aviacion получила третий самолет АН-158" /> In February 2013, Cubana signed a deal for the order of three 350-seater [[Ilyushin Il-96|Ilyushin Il-96-400]]s.<ref name="Cubana buys Antonov An-158 and Il-96-400s" /> In {{MONTHNAME|4}} the same year, Cubana received its first [[Antonov An-158]];<ref name="Cubana Takes Delivery of First An-158" /><ref>{{cite news|title="Антонов" передал второй Ан-158 на Кубу |language=ru |trans-title=Antonov handed over the second An-158 to Cuba |url=http://www.unian.net/news/585579-antonov-peredal-vtoroy-an-158-na-kubu.html |newspaper=www.unian.net |date=25 July 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130726203526/http://www.unian.net/news/585579-antonov-peredal-vtoroy-an-158-na-kubu.html |archive-date=26 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Antonov Enterprise passes second regional An-158 aircraft to Cubana de Aviacion" /> Cubana received another {{cardinal to word|2}} An-158s during {{YEAR|2013}}.<ref name="Украина отправит на Кубу уже пятый Ан-158" /> The delivery of the {{ordinal to word|3}} example marked the signing of another contract for {{cardinal to word|3}} more aircraft of the type, scheduled for delivery in {{YEAR|2014}}.<ref name="Cubana de Aviacion получила третий самолет АН-158" /> A {{ordinal to word|4}} An-158 was delivered in April 2014; {{as of|2014|7|lc=yes}}, Antonov was to deliver to the airline a {{ordinal to word|5}} aircraft of the type.<ref name="Украина отправит на Кубу уже пятый Ан-158" /> However, since 2018 all aircraft of this type are stored due to ongoing maintenance issues.<ref>[http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article211426019.html miamiherald.com] {{subscription required}}</ref>