| José Martí International Airport Aeropuerto José Martí |
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| IATA: HAV – ICAO: MUHA | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | ECASA S.A. | ||
| Serves | Havana, Cuba | ||
| Location | Boyeros Municipality | ||
| Hub for | Cubana de Aviación Aero Caribbean Aerogaviota |
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| Elevation AMSL | 64 m / 210 ft | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Map | |||
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MUHA
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 06/24 | 4,000 | 13,123 | Asphalt |
| Source: Aerodrome chart[1] | |||
José Martí International Airport (IATA: HAV, ICAO: MUHA), sometimes known by its former name Rancho-Boyeros Airport, is located 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Havana, Cuba, and is a hub for Cubana de Aviación, Aerogaviota and Aero Caribbean, and former Latin American hub for Aeroflot Soviet Airlines.[2] It is Cuba's main international and domestic gateway, it serves several million passengers each year, 80 percent of Cuba's international passengers along with Varadero's Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport.
The airport lies in the municipality of Boyeros and connects Havana with the rest of the Caribbean, North, Central and South America, Europe and one destination in Africa. It is named in memory of patriot and poet José Martí.
In the 1960s the airport was bombarded by B-26 aircraft from Brigade 2506, a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles, and with the deterioration of relations with the United States and the United States embargo against Cuba, airlines from the United States are not permitted to operate regular scheduled flights to the airport. In the 1990s charter flights began operating from Miami and New York City for U.S. residents with special permission from the U.S. government.
There are currently four passenger terminals in use at the airport plus a freight terminal.[3] Terminal 1 is used primarily for domestic flights. Terminal 2 opened in 1988 primarily for charter flights to the United States. Ten years later on April 27, 1998, the International Terminal 3 was opened by Canada's then Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, and former Cuban president, Fidel Castro.[4] International Terminal 3 offers many modern facilities and jetways that the former international terminal 1 did not provide. Terminal 5 is operated by Aerocaribbean.
Today, Copa Airlines is the foreign airline with most flights to the airport, it operates 33 flights a week (roughly 5 daily flights) from Panama City, Panama.[5]
The airport is operated by Empresa Cubana de Aeropuertos y Servicios Aeronáuticos (ECASA).
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The current Jose Marti Airport in 1930 replaced the Columbia Airfield, which was the first airport to serve Havana.
The original name of the airport, Rancho Boyeros, meaning the "(Bull) Drover Ranch", was in reference to the name of the plains/territory where the airport was being built. It was known as the Rancho Boyeros because in colonial times a local family had built a thatched hut and provided meals and an inn to the weary drovers that brought agricultural products to the capital from Batabano and Vuelta Abajo.
To give a progressive environment to the airport the old ranch homes were transformed into a small town/village that would serve as an industrial, livestock, agriculture and commercial centre, rising comfortable homes, an industrial technical school, a paint factory and other facilities. The town today is known as the Boyeros Municipality.
In 1961 diplomatic relations with the United States deteriorated substantially and with the United States embargo against Cuba, airlines from the United States were not permitted to operate regular scheduled flights to the airport (a situation that still continues). That year, two days prior to the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion organized by the CIA with the participation of Cuban exiles, Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft from Brigade 2506 bombarded José Martí Airport and Antonio Maceo Airport in Santiago de Cuba.
Because of Cuba's relationship with the Soviet Union, the airport during the 1970s and 1980s enjoyed the presence of many Eastern Bloc airline companies, such as Aeroflot, Czecho-Slovak Airlines, Interflug and LOT Polish Airlines. In 1977 an Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-62 operating a scheduled flight to Moscow crashed after takeoff, killing 68 of the 70 on board and one person on the ground. In 1989 a second Ilyushin Il-62, operated by Cubana, crashed after takeoff. All of the 115 passengers and 11 crew members as well as 45 persons on the ground were killed.
In 1988 Terminal 2 was constructed in anticipation of future charter flights to the United States. In the 1990s the special charter flights were approved by the US government, to operate from Miami for Cuban citizens living in the United States that have close relatives in Cuba. Today, various airlines operate non-stop scheduled charter service between Havana and Miami. Terminal 2 was remodelled and expanded in 2010.
On December 31, 1997 a Concorde landed in Cuba for the first time, landing at José Martí Airport. The Air France flight London-Paris-Barbados-Havana was received at the airport by Fidel Castro who boarded the aircraft and greeted the crew and passengers. On April 26 the following year, the new International Terminal 3 was inaugurated by Canada's ex-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Cuba's ex-president Fidel Castro. In 2002 Air Freight Logistics Enterprise (ELCA S.A.) opened José Martí's first freight terminal known as the Aerovaradero Freight Terminal.[6] The terminal has a 600 t (590 long tons; 660 short tons) capacity, 2,000 m3 (71,000 cu ft) of space in two refrigeration and freezing chambers, with humidity and gas controls.
In 2007 three young recruits who deserted from the Cuban army tried to hijack a commercial passenger aircraft aiming to defect to the United States. At Terminal 1, the would-be hijackers killed one of the hostages, a lieutenant colonel.[7]
Domestic Terminal 1 used to be the main international and domestic terminal building in the airport prior of the opening of terminal 2 and 3-which was constructed in 1998. The terminal is located on the west side of runway 06. It is now used primarily for domestic flights.
International Charters Terminal 2 handles mainly schedule charter flights to and from Miami, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale and New York for US residents with special permission from the United States government and Cuban citizens with US visas, the scheduled charters are operated by Gulfstream Air Charters, ABC Charters, Marazul Charters and C & T Charters. The terminal is located on the north side, just in front of the threshold of runway 24. It was constructed in the 1988 when the first charter flights after the revolution were opened from Miami. There are bars, bookshops, newsagents, and also a restaurant on the second floor, as well as car rentals in the arrivals area.
In 2010 Terminal 2 went through remodeling and expansion.[8]
International Terminal 3 is the main international terminal, it was opened in 1998 by Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Cuba's ex-president Fidel Castro, it is the largest and most modern of all terminals. Ticketing and departures are located on the upper level, arrivals and baggage carousels are located on the lower level. There are several car rentals located in the Arrivals Area, the companies represented include Cubanacar, Fenix, Rent a Car, Rex (limousines and luxury cars), Transtur, and Via Rent-a-Car. In terminal 3 all the bars and restaurants are open 24 hours. There are information desks in the Arrivals and Departure areas. A bank, post office and Internet are also available in this terminal. Terminal 3 has 750 parking spaces.
Aerocaribbean Terminal 5 is mainly used by Aerocaribbean, but Aerotaxi, which is a Cuban based charter airline, is also present. In 2010 all flights from the United States were temporarily handled at this terminal due to construction and remodeling at Terminal 2.
There is a bus service between the terminals.
Note: † denotes flights to the United States which are operated as scheduled Special Authority Charters. The scheduled charter flights are operated by Gulfstream Air Charters, ABC Charters, Marazul Charters and C&T Charters.
| Airlines | Destinations | Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Aerocaribbean [9] | Baracoa, Cayo Coco, Holguín, Managua, San Pedro Sula, Santiago de Cuba | 1, 5 |
| Aeroflot [10] | Moscow-Sheremetyevo | 3 |
| Aerogaviota | Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cayo Santa María, Holguín, Kingston, Montego Bay, Nassau, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad | 1, 3 |
| Aeroméxico [11] | Cancún, Mexico City | 3 |
| Air Canada [12] | Toronto-Pearson | 3 |
| Air Caraïbes [13] | Pointe-à-Pitre | 3 |
| Air Europa [14] | Madrid | 3 |
| Air France [15] | Paris-Charles de Gaulle | 3 |
| American Airlines † | Miami, New York-JFK, Tampa[16] | 2 |
| American Eagle operated by Executive Airlines † | Miami | 2 |
| Bahamasair [17] | Nassau | 3 |
| Blue Panorama Airlines [18] | Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino | 3 |
| Cayman Airways [19] | Grand Cayman | 3 |
| Condor [20] | Frankfurt | 3 |
| Conviasa [21] | Caracas | 3 |
| Copa Airlines [5] | Panama City | 3 |
| Copa Airlines operated by Copa Airlines Colombia [5] | Bogota | 3 |
| Cubana de Aviación | Baracoa, Bayamo, Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Ciego de Ávila, Guantánamo, Holguín, Manzanillo, Nueva Gerona, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Victoria de las Tunas | 1 |
| Cubana de Aviación [22] | Beijing, Bogota, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cairo, Cancún, Caracas, Dakar, London-Gatwick, Madrid, Mexico City, Montreal-Trudeau, Nassau, Paris-Orly, Santo Domingo, Toronto-Pearson Seasonal: Halifax |
3 |
| Delta Air Lines † | Atlanta[23], Miami[24] | 2 |
| Iberia [25] | Madrid | 3 |
| Interjet [26] | Mexico City | 3 |
| JetBlue Airways † | Ft Lauderdale | 2 |
| KLM [27] | Amsterdam | 3 |
| Lacsa [28] | San José de Costa Rica | 3 |
| LAN Perú [29] | Lima [begins February 2, 2012] | 3 |
| Miami Air International † | Miami | 2 |
| Neos [30] | Milan-Malpensa | 3 |
| Sky King † | Baltimore [begins March 21, 2012][31], Chicago-O'hare, Miami, New York-JFK, Tampa | 2 |
| Sunwing Airlines | Seasonal: Montreal-Trudeau | 3 |
| TAAG Angola Airlines [32] | Luanda | 3 |
| TACA Airlines [33] | San Salvador | 3 |
| TACA Perú [28] | Lima | 3 |
| United Airlines † | Los Angeles, Miami | 2 |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways [34] | London-Gatwick | 3 |
| World Atlantic Airlines † | Tampa | 2 |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aero Caribbean Cargo | |
| Cubana Cargo | |
| DHL Express | |
| Flair Airlines | |
| IBC Airways | |
| Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas |
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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