Editing Cubana de Aviación (section)

===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" />