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José Martí International Airport

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Template:Airport frame Template:Airport title Template:Airport image Template:Airport infobox Template:Runway title Template:Runway Template:Airport end frame José Martí International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí) (IATA: HAV, ICAO: MUHA) is an international airport serving Havana, Cuba. The airport is situated on Ave. Van Troi and Final, 9 miles (15km) southwest of downtown Havana. The airport is operated by ECASA (Empresa Cubana de Aeropuertos y Servicios Aeronauticos S.A.). José Martí airport handles flights from over 25 international airlines serving more than 60 worldwide destinations, mainly in Europe, North, Central and South America and over 3 national airlines serving 16 domestic destinations.

José Martí International Airport is Cuba's main international and domestic getaway, it is a hub for Cubana de Aviación, Aerogaviota and Aero Caribbean. The airport serves several million passengers each year, 80% of Cuba's international passengers along with Varadero's Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport. Large number of them from Canada, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Germany. The airport is named to commemorate Cuban patriot and poet José Martí.


General

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José Martí's new terminal 3

Due to the United States embargo against Cuba, no airlines from the United States are permitted to operate regularly scheduled flights to the airport, so the regular flights from Miami are designated as charters. Various airlines operate non-stop service between Havana and Miami, including American Eagle Airlines, Gulfstream International Airlines, and Continental Airlines. 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. The airport has seen its share of tragedies, as many of the older Russian built jets that Cubana and some of the other communist airlines (such as the Soviet Union's Aeroflot and the East German Interflug) used have crashed either going from or to this airport.

In 2002 British Airways ceased nonstop flights from London to Havana, but expanded their codesharing arrangements with its oneworld partner, Iberia Airlines, and added its code to connecting flights operated by Iberia from its main hub in Madrid for travel on to Havana. Summer 2005, Virgin Atlantic Airways filled the gap long since left by its rival airline, British Airways, and started operating direct flights from London to Havana-Jose Marti, taking advantage of the passenger growth traveling to Havana. Flights between London and Havana began on July 7th, 2005. It is expected from Virgin Atlantic flights to Cuba to add some US$55 million to Cuba's economy, including jobs, new commerce and tourism. Iberia Airlines and Air Europa, both, have daily flights from Madrid Barajas International Airport to Jose Marti Int'l, Iberia have had daily flights to Jose Marti Int'l nonstop since the 1950s. Air France operates Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport traffic daily usig a Boeing 747-400, Cubana de Aviación serves Paris through Orly Airport. The Italian airline Air Europe flies to Montego Bay, Jamaica via Havana from Milan, Malpensa Airport every Friday, and to Cancun, Mexico via Havana every Saturday. Air Italy is another Italian airline flying Montego Bay via Havana from Verona, Italy. Copa Airlines is one of the major airlines operating José Martí airport, it serves with 14 weekly flights from Panama City Tocumen International Airport.

File:Havana Jose Marti.jpg
Iberia's 747 and Blue Panorama 767

The airport it is main base of Ibeca S.A., IBECA is a joint venture that one half belongs to Cubana de Aviación S.A and the other half to Iberia Airlines of Spain. It deals with the technical maintenance of planes such as Boeing 727, 737, 747, 757, 767; Airbus A320, A330, A340, and other planes of Western Construction and other types of western manufactured aircraft. Annually, it gives technical coverage to more than 5,000 air operations, for more than 30 different airlines, mainly from Europe and the Americas.

In 2002, the Air Freight Logistics Enterprise (ELCA S.A.) opened a new freight terminal, the freight terminal is a joint venture equally shared between the Cargosur company, part of the Iberia group of Spain, and Aerovaradero S.A. of Cuba, with an investment of over $2.5 million USD. The goal of this enterprise, the most modern of its kind in this geographical region, is to facilitate and reduce the cost of freight transportation between Europe and the Americas, in aircraft belonging to various companies. The terminal has a 600-Ton capacity, 2,000 cubic meters of space in two refrigeration and freezing chambers alone, with humidity and gas controls.

At present José Martí international airport is constructing a new automated center of air traffic control which will give its service to the whole region of the FIR assigned to Cuba; for this there was a necessary previous step, the total radarization of above-mentioned FIR, all this will increase the reliability of the air traffic service that Cuba has in the whole region under its control, which is the major air traffic volume of Latin America, with more than 450 controlled flights daily.

Approximate flight times to Havana from London is 10 hours 40 minutes; from New York is 5 hours 5 minutes; from Los Angeles is 5 hours 40 minutes; from Miami is 60 minutes; from Toronto is 3 hours 40 minutes and from Sydney is 19 hours 20 minutes.

Facilities

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Terminal 3 arrivals area

Facilities include bureau de change and a bank open 24 hours. There is also a post office and internet cafe (not available in all terminals). An executive lounge is provided by the airlines for their passengers. A hotel reservation desk and car hire desks are available. Ground agents Havanatur and Cubanacan, which are local travel agencies for incoming tourists, also have desks here. There are plenty of bars and restaurants available 24 hours. There is a wide choice of shops at the airport, these include bookshops, tobacconists, newsagents, duty-free and off-licenses in all terminals, 90% of the airport's passengers now visit the shops. There are no lockers available for luggage. There is a lost and found office. Other facilities: There is a pharmacy.

Conference and Business Facilities; there are no conference facilities at the airport, although there are two VIP lounges in Arrivals and Departures of Terminal 3. These are equipped with phone, fax, photocopying, press and private rooms; snacks and refreshments are available. The airport is accessible throughout. Facilities for disabled people include accessible toilets, ramps, lifts and adapted phone boxes. Passengers with disabilities are requested to inform their airline in advance of their needs.

There is currently no bus service from the airport into the city center. Metered tourist taxis wait outside the arrivals hall for the 30-minute journey into town. The fare is CUC$15-25 ($16-26 USD). Tour operators arrange minibus transfers with ground agents; these are pre-booked by their own clients, however, it might be possible for an independent traveller to purchase a seat on one of these minibuses from the local agent directly (in Pesos Convertibles (CUC)), if there is space.

There are no hotels on site. There is a wide selection of hotels in the areas of el Vedado and La Habana Vieja, in the city center.

Terminal, airlines, and destinations

There are currently three terminals in use at the airport plus an additional one used by Aero Caribbean, and a cargo terminal. Terminal 1 serves domestic Cubana flights. Terminal 2 serves Corsair, Miami charters, and as well New York charters. Terminal 3, the modern main terminal, serves most traffic and was built in 1998 with Canadian assistance. Terminal 5 serves Aerocaribbean and some charters. Aerovaradero is the freight terminal, main used by Cubana Cargo and Cargosur (Iberia Group). There is a bus service to transfer between the terminals.

Terminal 1 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 wich was constructed in 1998. The terminal is located on the west side of runway 6. The terminal has a parking space for 500 vehicles. It is now used primarily for domestic flights.

  • Aerogaviota (Baracoa, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cayo Santa Maria, Nueva Gerona, Santiago de Cuba, Varadero)
  • Cubana de Aviación (Baracoa, Bayamo, Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, Holguin, Manzanillo, Moa, Nueva Gerona, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Varadero, Victoria de las Tunas)

Terminal 2 International

Terminal 2 handles mainly schedule charter flights to/from Miami. The terminal is located on the north side, just in front of runway 24 threshold. It was constructed in the 1990s when the first charter flights after the revolution were opened from Miami. Corsairfly is also present in this terminal. In 2006 C & T Charters, Inc., began non-stop charter flights between New York's JFK and Havana, flights are operated by a charter Lloyd Aereo Boliviano B727-100. C & T Charters also operate flights from Miami using a charter Lloyd B727-100 daily. There are bars, bookshops, newsagents, and a restaurant on the second floor and as well car rentals on the arrivals area.

Terminal 3 International

Terminal 3 is the main international terminal, it was open in 1998 by Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Fidel Castro, it is the largest and most modern. Ticketing and departures are located on the upper level, arrivals and baggage carousels are located on the lower level. There is parking space for 750 vehicles less than 150 meters from the terminal. 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.

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Virgin Atlantic, Air Europe, Mexicana and Click Mexicana at terminal 3
Terminal 3, Cubana de Aviación international flights check-in counters

Terminal 5 (Aerocaribbean Terminal)

Terminal 5 is mainly used by Aero Caribbean, but Aerotaxi which is a Cuban based charter airline is also present.

  • Aero Caribbean (Baracoa, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cienfuegos, George Town, Freeport, Holguin, Managua, Port-au-Prince, Santiago de Cuba, Santo Domingo, Trinidad, Varadero)
  • Aerotaxi (domestic charters)

Aerovaradero Cargo Terminal

Opened in 2002 by the Air Freight Logistics Enterprise, joint venture by Cargosur Iberia Group of Spain and Aerovaradero S.A. of Cuba. The terminal has a 600-Ton capacity, 2,000 cubic meters of space in two refrigeration and freezing chambers alone, with humidity and gas controls.

Former airlines

Former airliners that served Jose Marti airport:

Facts of interest

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Blue Panorama and LAN's 767s
  • In July 2006, the British airline, Virgin Atlantic considered very positive the first year of operations from London Gatwick Airport to Havana Jose Marti Airport. Cubana de Aviación is the only major competitor with direct flights, having several weekly flights from the same airport (though much of the London-Havana traffic flies via Madrid or Paris). Since the airline started service on July 2005 through July 2006, it has transported more than 35,000 passengers using a Boeing 747-400 with a 75 percentage of occupation.1 (SPA)
  • Non-stop flights between New York's JFK and Havana, Cuba began. The flights started in December, on the 24th before Christmas and the 31st before New Year's. After that, they are scheduled every two weeks. The charter company, C & T Charters Inc; says the flights will increase as demand does. The flights are operated by Lloyd Aereo Boliviano using a Boeing 727-100. 2
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