Cuba´s First Commercial Airlines

CUBANA DE AVIACION S.A. WILL CELEBRATE ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2019. THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AIRLINES IN THE WORLD

Founded by millionaire, airplanes' enthusiast and businessman Anibal J. de Mesa, who hired Agustin Parla as his General Manager, the Cuban Airline Company (C.A.C) —first of its kind in the Greatest of the Antilles— was founded in October 1919. It certainly helped the economic good experienced by the country back in the time. Nonetheless, it did not last long due to the decline in sugar prices. Fifteen months later, the company ceased to exist.

The C.A.C fleet consisted on six Farman F-40 airplanes, which were brought on a ship. These airplanes provided some services; namely, training plane Farman F-40; observation flights around Havana, research, and aerophotography. The Farman F-60 Goliath flied from Havana to Santiago, via Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Camaguey. In October 1920, the flight route Havana-Cienfuegos-Santa Clara was inaugurated, having two weekly return flights for 50 and 70 Cuban pesos, respectively.

The price was worth 25 Cuban pesos if the flight took place between the cities belonging to former Las Villas province (N.T. Cienfuegos-Santa Clara).

Some small companies emerged in the decade 1919-1929. Their flights covered very local routes. The most significant of all, with an ephemeral existence though, was Servicios Cubano de Aviacion (Cuban Aviation Service) controlled by U.S. financial institutions.

Afterward, on October 8th, it was founded today's Cubana de Aviacion S.A., which turns 90 this year. In its early days, the company was registered as Compañia Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss S.A. Later, the name was changed to Compañia Nacional Cubana de Aviación S.A. in 1932 when the company was bought by Pan American Airways, which made Cubana de Aviacion the most important airline in Cuba over the span of 1932-1944. At that time, Cubana's fleet consisted on Ford Tri-motors, Lockheed L-10 Electra and Sikorsky S-38, which covered the route to the northern side of Oriente connecting cities and coastal towns due to their amphibian structure.

It changed its name to Compañia Cubana de Aviación S.A. when four shareholders owned the 58% of its share capital. Between 1945 and 1959, new airplanes such as Douglas DC-3 —first regular route Havana-Miami was inaugurated with these airplanes— and the addition, in 1948, of four-engined airplanes DC-4, which covered the route Havana-Madrid, on April 1948.

In 1954, Cuba became owner of the company when the island acquired the other 42% of the share capital belonging to Pan American. In the same decade, the flight routes to U.S., Mexico, and other Caribbean countries dramatically increased. Avant-garde airplanes of the time were bought by the airline: Lockheed L-1049G, Vickers Viscount, and Bristol Britannias, novel multi-engine turboprop.

Cubana de Aviación S.A. will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2019. It is one of the oldest airlines in the world. When it was founded, it ranked 30th. It ranks 17th nowadays after the disappearance of older ones.