Ever wondered about a motel with a history intertwined with Cuba’s aviation legacy? Right here in Varadero stands the Motel de Cubana de Aviación. Its story is closely linked to Cubana de Aviación S.A Cuba’s largest airline and flag carrier.
Cubana de Aviación was born on October 8 1929. It initially operated with Sikorsky S-38 aircraft. After the Cuban Revolution the airline embraced Soviet aircraft. You would see An-24 Il-18 Il 62m and Tu-154B2 planes gracing the skies.
Following the Cold War Cubana diversified its fleet. Fokker F27 ATR 42-300 and ATR 72-500 aircraft became part of its operations. Airbus A320-200 Boeing 737-500 and Boeing 737-300 planes joined the ranks. The airline also leased Boeing 737-200 aircraft from Global Air. Tu-204-100 Il-96-300 and An-148 planes further expanded its capabilities.
Cubana’s origins trace back to 1929 as Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss. This name reflected its connection to the Curtiss aircraft manufacturing company. It emerged as one of Latin America’s earliest airlines.
The Compañía Aérea de Cuba founded in 1919 and the Compañía Aérea Cubana established in 1920 preceded Cubana. Both airlines operated from Havana’s Columbia Airport which began operations in 1919. Economic difficulties after World War I led to their dissolution.
Other Cuban air transport companies during Cubana’s founding included Servicio Cubano de Aviación Líneas Aéreas de Cuba and Compañía Nacional Cubana de Transporte Aéreo. These companies had short lifespans due to limited finances. They primarily offered occasional flights for urgent package deliveries or private business trips. The Great Depression of 1929 significantly impacted them causing a drop in air traffic.
In 1930 Cubana de Aviación Curtiss began services using Curtiss Robin aircraft. Sikorsky S-38 amphibians and Ford Trimotors followed. Amphibious services connected coastal mining areas in eastern Cuba. Land-based Curtiss Robins and Ford Trimotors served major provincial cities.
The Curtiss Aviation School trained Cuban pilots starting in the 1910s. This created the expertise necessary for Cubana’s emergence. Agustín Parlá Orduña a 1912 Curtiss School graduate headed the Compañía Aérea de Cuba in 1919.
Visits by famous aviators sparked interest in aviation and its commercial possibilities in Cuba. Domingo Rosillo completed the first flight across the Strait of Florida in 1913. Charles Nungesser visited in 1924. Charles Lindbergh arrived in his Spirit of St Louis airplane in 1928. Mariano Barberán and Joaquín Collar completed the first transatlantic flight from Spain to Cuba in 1933. Antonio Menéndez Peláez made the first Cuba-to-Spain flight in 1936. These feats promoted interest in long-distance flight.
Pan American Airways acquired Cubana in 1932. The word Curtiss was removed from the airline’s name. Financial difficulties partly motivated the sale. Cubana became a Pan American Airways subsidiary. Pan American assembled a Latin American and Caribbean network. This linked air services with its international routes. Pan American’s first international scheduled service started from Florida to Cuba in the 1920s. Acquiring Cubana made sense for PAA’s expansion.
Twin-engine Lockheed Model 10 Electras joined Cubana’s fleet in 1934. These aircraft allowed the airline to extend its routes within Cuba. They expanded land-based operations serving cities without scheduled airline service. The expansion coincided with the creation of Cuba’s Civil Aviation School in 1936. By 1940 Cubana’s fleet had 12 aircraft.
The Douglas DC-3 in 1944 and the Curtiss C-46 in 1946 followed the Lockheed Electras. Cubana’s operations aircraft livery crews’ uniforms and logo mirrored Pan American’s. Cubana’s route system fed passengers to Pan American’s international flights.
In 1944 the airline’s name changed to Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A. Cuban investors acquired a majority share. Pan American Airways retained a 42% stake. This marked Cubana’s ascendance as a Cuban enterprise.
That same year the International Conference on Civil Aviation convened. Cuba participated and became a founding member of ICAO. In April 1945 the conference that created IATA was held in Havana. Cubana became a founding member.
Cubana’s international expansion began in May 1945. Flights from Havana to Miami used Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Cubana became the first Latin American airline to establish scheduled passenger services to Miami.
The Motel de Cubana de Aviación stands as a reminder of Cuba’s rich aviation history. It connects to the legacy of Cubana de Aviación and its pioneering role in Latin American air travel.