The national flag carrier of Cuba, Cubana de Aviación, announced via Facebook that it would suspend flights from Havana to Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to the post, the cessation of service is due to the current health situation stemming from Covid-19 and also mentioned a continuing measure to “restrict passenger quotas.”

Argentina flights will not operate out of Cuba from October 2021 until mid-November 2021. Flights are tentatively scheduled to resume on Nov. 20, 2021, from Havana, using flight number CU360, flights out of Buenos Aires back to Havana will resume on Nov. 22, 2021, using the flight number CU22. Passengers that are booked on an affected flight are urged to contact the airline to change their itinerary.

It is currently unclear which routes Cubana actually does operate at this point in time as the website only shows Bogota and Mexico City, but the search engine shows at least 20-cities although none produce flight options. When we reached out to the carrier via Facebook messenger which routes it currently flies, they responded with just the thumbs-up emoji.

Suspended from IATA BSP of Spain

IATA, or the International Air Transport Association, was actually created in Havana, Cuba in 1945 and the airline was one of the founding members. The ‘BSP’ or ‘Billing Settlement Plan’, is an electronic system that is used to make it easier to shift money between airlines, agencies, and travel agents. The BSP makes it easier for not only money, but data to go between the airlines and other parties that book flights for people.

According to the ACTA, Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, they said that Cubana de Aviacion “has been suspended from BSP Spain due to the impossibility for our Clearing Bank to provide services to Cubana de Aviacion, as a consequence of United States economic sanctions”.

The airline then posted on its Facebook page that “The bank that files the compensations has informed that it can’t continue due to the American embargo. This suspension doesn’t hold us from honoring the contractual compromises we have with our clients. The airline will adjust its commercial strategies in the market”. Cubana mentioned again at the end of the post that, “This measure doesn’t prevent the honour of commitments made to customers. The Company adjusts its trade strategies in the market.”

Flights and scheduled are subject to change.

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Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit but has a special interest in Essential Air Service Airports. He got his degree in Aviation Management and Operations from WMU in June of 2022, and is currently working full time for an airline in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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