Owais Crawford
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country in the Caribbean. The country is subdivided into 15 provinces and one special municipality, and its capital and largest city is Havana, which has an international airport named after the Cuban national hero, Jose Marti. Cuba has several other international airports, including Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport in Varadero, and many towns in Cuba have airports that receive domestic and international flights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of airports | 17 or more |
| Number of international airports | At least 6 |
| Number of airlines | 2 |
| Main airports | Havana Airport, Varadero Airport |
| Largest airport | Jose Marti International Airport |
| Airport with the most destinations | Jose Marti International Airport |
| Total mass transported in Cuba by air in 2021 | 22.32 million ton-kilometers |
| Largest airline in the country | Cubana |
| Cuba's capital and largest city | Havana |
| Time zone | UTC-4 or UTC-5 |
| Currency | Cuban peso (CUP) |
| National Day | 26 July |
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What You'll Learn
Havana's Jose Marti International Airport
Cuba has several airports, including international airports in Havana, Varadero, Holguin, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Camaguey, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, and Manzanillo de Cuba.
Havanas Jose Marti International Airport
Havana Airport, also known as Havana Jose Marti International Airport, is located in the municipality of Boyeros, 9 miles or 15 kilometres southwest of Havana. It is Cuba's main international airport and one of the biggest and busiest airports in the country, serving several million passengers each year. The airport is a hub for Cubana de Aviación and Aerogaviota and was formerly a Latin American hub for the Soviet (and later Russian) airline Aeroflot.
The airport connects Havana with the Caribbean, North, Central and South America, Europe, and one destination each in Africa (Luanda in Angola) and Asia (Beijing in China, via Montreal). It has four passenger terminals and one terminal for freight. Terminal 1 has a taxi stand, public phone, bathrooms, and bus connections to Havana. Terminal 2 is the US Charters terminal, mostly used for scheduled charter flights to and from the United States. Terminal 3 is the main international terminal, with the most options for dining. Terminal 5 is used by Aerotaxi and Aerocaribbean and is currently handling US flights while Terminal 2 is under construction.
The airport was originally called the Rancho-Boyeros Airport before being renamed in honour of Cuban patriot and poet Jose Marti. It opened on 24 February 1930, replacing the former Ciudad Libertad Airport. The airport's first international flight was a Cubana de Aviación Douglas DC-3 to Miami in 1945. In 1988, Terminal 2 was constructed, and in 1997, a Concorde landed in Cuba for the first time, received by Fidel Castro.
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Varadero's Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport
Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It has several airports across its 15 provinces, including three in the city of Varadero: Juan Gualberto Gomez, Havana Jose Marti International, and Cienfuegos.
The airport accommodates both scheduled and charter flights. It is served by various airlines, including Aerocaribbean, which operated a now-infamous flight that was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana in 1992. The aircraft, an Antonov 26, was forced to land in Miami.
Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport is busiest on Fridays, with an average of one departure per week. The airport is a gateway to Cuba's northern Caribbean Sea coast, offering easy access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a popular entry point for tourists visiting the country, with its clear waters and pristine beaches.
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Holguin's Frank Pais Airport
Holguín is a city in Cuba and the country's fourth-largest city after Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camagüey. The city is served by the Holguín Frank País Airport (HOG/MUHG), which is located about 9 miles from the city centre. The airport is named after Frank País, a Cuban revolutionary.
There are several ways to travel between Holguín Frank País Airport and the city of Holguín. The fastest way is by taxi, which takes around 12 minutes and costs $12-$15. Alternatively, you can take a bus from the airport to the city, which costs $5-$8 and takes about 15 minutes. The bus service is operated by Viazul and departs four times a day. If you prefer to drive yourself, the one-way road distance is 8.5 miles, and the drive will take approximately 12 minutes, depending on traffic.
The Central Highway (Carretera Central in Spanish) connects Frank País Airport to Holguín, which is about 12 kilometres or 7.5 miles to the northeast. The beaches of the Costa Holguinera resort of Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda, Playa Pesquero, and Playa Blanca are also located within a one-hour travel range of the airport, making it a popular landing spot for Canadian and European charters.
Holguín Frank País Airport is an international airport serving Holguín and the surrounding area. The airport has scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines, as indicated by the bold formatting of its name on some lists of Cuban airports.
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Santa Clara's Abel Santamaria Airport
Santa Clara is home to the Abel Santamaria Airport in Cuba, which is also known by the airport codes SNU and MUSC. The airport is located 6 miles from the city of Santa Clara. Abel Santamaria Airport is one of Cuba's international airports, with at least one international flight departing from the airport every week.
The airport is named after Abel Santamaría, a Cuban revolutionary who fought alongside Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution. Santamaría was born in 1927 in Encrucijada, Cuba, and became a key figure in the revolutionary movement. He was the leader of the Assault on the Moncada Barracks, which was a pivotal event in the Cuban Revolution. Unfortunately, Santamaría was captured and executed by the government forces during the attack. He was posthumously declared a Hero of the Republic and has been honoured with this airport bearing his name.
The airport serves as a hub for several airlines, providing domestic and international connections for passengers travelling to and from Cuba. It offers a range of facilities and services to ensure a smooth travel experience. These include passenger amenities such as restaurants, cafes, and shops. The airport also has a duty-free area where travellers can purchase goods exempt from certain taxes and duties.
In addition to its role in civil aviation, Abel Santamaria Airport also has a significant impact on the local economy and community. The airport creates employment opportunities for the residents of Santa Clara and the surrounding areas. It also facilitates the transportation of goods and services, supporting local businesses and contributing to the region's development. The airport's proximity to the city makes it a convenient gateway for tourists visiting Santa Clara and the nearby attractions.
Santa Clara Abel Santamaria Airport is an important transportation hub for the region, connecting Cuba with the rest of the world. By offering both international and domestic flights, the airport plays a vital role in promoting tourism and economic growth in the area. The airport's facilities and services cater to the needs of travellers, ensuring a comfortable and efficient travel experience.
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Cayo Coco's Jardines del Rey Airport
Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean, officially known as the Republic of Cuba. The country is subdivided into 15 provinces and one special municipality, with its capital and largest city being Havana.
One of the airports in Cuba is the Cayo Coco Jardines del Rey Airport, which is located on the Eastern end of the Coco Cay island, part of the "Jardines del Rey" (King's Garden) archipelago off the northern coast of Cuba. The airport was inaugurated on 26 December 2002, replacing the earlier domestic Cayo Coco Airport, which was situated 10 km to the west. The former runway of the old airport was incorporated into the road connecting Cayo Coco with Cayo Guillermo, and some runway markings and taxiways remain visible. The old airport terminal building is now part of the "Parque Natural El Baga", a national park and protected zone.
Cayo Coco Jardines del Rey Airport is the only airport in Cuba that is partially managed by a foreign company. Aena, a Spanish airports company, and ECASA, a Cuban company, jointly operate the airport, making it the first foreign entity to manage a Cuban airport. The airport was built to better serve tourists visiting the island, who previously had to arrive at Máximo Gómez Airport, about 70 kilometres (43 miles) to the south. The new airport significantly reduced transfer times to the resorts on Cayo Coco, from 1.5 hours to just 10-20 minutes.
The airport underwent runway improvements in the fall of 2022 to accommodate aircraft with more than 300 passengers. These improvements involved using 11,000 tonnes of asphalt to lay out a 3,000-meter-long and 25-meter-wide runway. Additionally, the airport plans to use an extra 8,000 tonnes of asphalt in 2023. Cayo Coco Jardines del Rey Airport handles both international and domestic flights and serves the island resorts of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon, and Cayo Cruz. It also serves the province of Ciego de Avila and the north-central regions of Cuba, including Moron and Sancti Spiritu. The airport hosts around fifty flights per week and receives well over 200,000 passengers per year, most of whom are foreign tourists from Canada.
In September 2017, the airport suffered significant damage from Hurricane Irma. As a result, authorities renovated the terminal, rebuilding the walls with concrete to enhance their resilience against similar events in the future. New stores and a centralised air-conditioning system were also installed. The terminal, which is the airport's only terminal building, is 6,000 square meters (65,000 square feet) in size and can handle 600 passengers per hour. It offers various amenities, including two VIP lounges, a snack bar, a restaurant, duty-free shops, and a currency exchange booth.
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Frequently asked questions
The cities of Havana, Varadero, Holguin, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Camaguey, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, and Manzanillo de Cuba all have international airports. Jose Marti International Airport in Havana is the largest of these.
Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) is the busiest airport in Cuba, serving 4 million passengers per year.
The main airline for civil passenger traffic in Cuba is Cubana, which flies to 20 domestic and international airports.
