Cubana de Aviación S.A. is the flag carrier of the Republic of Cuba, founded on October 8, 1929, headquartered in Havana and operating from José Martí International Airport (HAV). It is a founding member of IATA and provides Cuba's own air cargo capacity through passenger belly holds and, historically, freighters, with routes across the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. Chinese exports connect to Cuban points after transhipment at European hubs such as Madrid and Paris; capacity and schedules are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.
Cubana de Aviación S.A. was founded on October 8, 1929, from the earlier Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtís, and is one of the oldest airlines in the Americas, starting commercial operations in October 1930. It is Cuba's state-owned flag carrier, IATA two-letter code CU, ICAO three-letter code CUB, radio callsign CUBANA, air waybill prefix 136. The head office is at Calle 23, Vedado, Havana, and the main base is Havana José Martí International Airport (IATA code HAV, ICAO code MUHA).
The airline is a founding member of IATA and a member of SITA and ALTA. Its network centers on Havana and covers major Cuban cities plus points in the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe, including Santiago de Cuba (SCU), Varadero (VRA) and Camagüey (CMW), with Madrid (MAD) the main European gateway. Cargo moves mainly in passenger belly holds; in the past it operated Tupolev Tu-204-100EC freighters on heavy and charter work.
For Chinese shippers Cubana is the local carrier option for exports entering the Cuban market. There is no nonstop cargo route from China to Cuba; Chinese exports tranship at European hubs such as Madrid or Paris and are carried to Havana in Cubana belly holds or freighter sectors, then distributed within Cuba. The airline has no published cargo office of its own in China and China business runs through agents; we, Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight), can handle trunk booking, connections and confirmation of capacity toward Cuba.
Bilateral trade between China and Cuba is steady and Chinese goods hold an important place in Cuban imports, mainly machinery and electrical products, vehicles and parts, steel products, light industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and consumer goods. Cuba lies in the northwest Caribbean and Havana is the largest city and the economic center; José Martí airport is the main international gateway for Cuban imports and exports, and Chinese cargo can be distributed from it across Cuba and to neighboring Caribbean markets.
Cuban air cargo is structured around international trunk services plus domestic ground distribution. Havana, on the northwest coast, is the natural international gateway; Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey lie in the east and center of the island, and cargo connects to them by road and regional flights after transiting Havana. Chinese exports clear at the gateway chosen for the destination city: Havana has the more mature clearance and warehousing, which suits bulk imports consolidated and then distributed, while eastern cities connect by road, and we explain the operational differences at the planning stage.
Cubana's operating background is tied directly to Cuban aviation policy. The country has long run a state aviation system and Cubana, as the local flag carrier, carries the main share of Cuban international passenger and cargo traffic. Fleet maintenance constraints and international sanctions have tightened capacity in recent years and reduced international points, so for cargo destined for Cuba the realistic path today is a European hub connection to its belly capacity; at booking we also assess alternatives combining third-party freighters with belly space.
The Cubana de Aviación website is cubana.cu; the airline is headquartered in Havana and cargo business is handled by its Havana head office and European offices. It has no published cargo office of its own in China, and China business runs through its European gateway agents and local Chinese forwarders.
Chinese exporters with Cuba-bound cargo should contact its local agent in China or work through us. We deal with the Cubana commercial team and the ground agents at Madrid and Paris on capacity and handling; requests can be submitted at goodhope86.com and we handle booking, transit tracking and clearance coordination for Cuba.
Cubana's active fleet is mainly Soviet and Russian types with a few Airbus narrowbodies, and cargo capability comes mainly from passenger belly holds and, historically, freighter sectors. Active types include the Ilyushin Il-96-300 widebody, Tupolev Tu-204/Tu-214 twin-engine narrowbodies, Antonov An-158 regional aircraft and An-2 light aircraft, with Airbus A320s long wet-leased for European routes. In the past the airline operated Antonov An-12, An-24 and An-26 turboprop freighters and Tupolev Tu-204-100EC freighters on Cuban heavy and charter work.
| Aircraft type | Positioning | Freight characteristics | For Chinese shippers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilyushin Il-96-300 | Four-engine widebody | Belly capacity on Havana to Madrid and European routes | Chinese cargo connects via MAD to this type's belly capacity into HAV |
| Tupolev Tu-204 / Tu-214 | Twin-engine narrowbody passenger aircraft | Belly cargo on medium-haul international and domestic routes | Suitable for general cargo on Caribbean and Latin American regional sectors |
| Antonov An-158 | Regional jet | Belly capacity on Cuban domestic and short regional sectors | Domestic distribution from Havana to Santiago and Camagüey |
| Airbus A320 (wet lease) | Twin-engine narrowbody passenger aircraft | Belly capacity on scheduled European routes | Relatively stable belly space on the Madrid to Havana sector |
| Tu-204-100EC (historic freighter) | Twin-engine freighter | Previously used for heavy and charter work; in long-term storage | Note: this information is not publicly available; the carrier confirms it on the day of booking. |
| An-12 / An-26 (historic freighters) | Turboprop freighter | Previously carried heavy cargo within Cuba and the Caribbean | Active status subject to the carrier's current publication |
Capacity on these types and sellable space on any given flight change with maintenance and the operating plan; with the Tu-204 freighter in long-term storage, heavy cargo to Cuba now relies mainly on passenger belly capacity and transhipment on third-party freighters, and the aircraft actually used is confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.
Cubana has no published scheduled cargo route to China and no office of its own there. Chinese exports connect to the airline mainly through a trunk service from China to Madrid followed by the Madrid to Havana sector: the trunk leg leaves a major Chinese gateway and reaches Madrid Barajas (MAD) via an operating international carrier, and the Cuban leg is carried in Cubana belly holds.
| Connecting gateway | Regional positioning | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Pudong PVG | Main East China gateway | Core gateway for East China manufacturing, with dense trunk services via European hubs; suits consolidated general and heavy cargo. |
| Guangzhou CAN / Shenzhen SZX | South China gateway | Convenient for mechanical and electrical goods, electronics and auto parts; cargo from Shenzhen can be trucked to Hong Kong warehouses for handover. |
| Hong Kong HKG | International transit hub | A complete international cargo route network, with ample freighter and passenger belly capacity toward Europe. |
| Beijing Capital/Daxing PEK/PKX | North China gateway | Carries intercontinental capacity and suits cargo from North China shipping close to home. |
There is currently no nonstop cargo flight from China to Cuba; the journey connects through a third-country hub. Cubana's Madrid to Havana schedule changes with the season, times are local, and actual schedules are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
With Havana José Martí airport as the gateway, Chinese exports tranship at European hubs such as Madrid (MAD) and reach Cuba in Cubana belly holds. The airline's network links Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Varadero and Camagüey within Cuba, uses Madrid as the core European gateway, and covers major neighboring cities in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Cubana's specific days of operation change with its operating plan and no year-round fixed schedule is published; times are local. If a Chinese exporter needs to assess routings into Cuba via Madrid or Paris, we can provide connections based on destination market and cargo attributes. Airport-to-airport reference transit is about 8–12 working days and usually 12–18 days door to door; actual schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
For cargo destined for Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey we also arrange the inland connection after Havana; transport within Cuba uses road or regional flights according to cargo attributes and transit requirement, with every node tracked. The Madrid transit follows EU transhipment rules, and transit storage and document exchange are coordinated with the local ground agent so cargo does not sit at the transit gateway.
Cubana is based in Havana and its cargo network covers Cuba itself plus points in the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. After a European hub connection, Chinese exports can reach the main airports of these countries and territories:
| Country/region | Main arrival airports | Where Chinese shippers use it |
|---|---|---|
| Cuba | Havana HAV, Santiago SCU, Varadero VRA, Camagüey CMW | Imports of machinery and electrical products, auto parts, light industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals and medical devices |
| Spain (transit gateway) | Madrid MAD | China to Europe trunk hub, connecting to the Cuban belly sector |
| France (transit gateway) | Paris CDG | Alternative transit path for European capacity combinations |
| Russia | Moscow SVO | Historic Cubana long-haul point, useful as a regional connection reference |
| Venezuela | Caracas CCS | Caribbean point for regional distribution cargo |
| Mexico | Mexico City MEX | Latin American transit reference path |
The points above are compiled from public information on the airline's historic and current network; actual sellable points and schedules are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking. [Additional note: this information is not published; confirmation is subject to the carrier on the day of booking.]
Cubana is Cuba's state-owned flag carrier and the local carrier for Cuban international air transport, the official air channel for Chinese goods entering the Cuban market.
The Madrid to Havana belly sector lands at Cuba's main gateway, from which Chinese cargo can be distributed across Cuba and to neighboring Caribbean markets.
European hubs such as Madrid and Paris concentrate trunk capacity from China, offering a wide choice of connections, and peak-season space can be secured in advance.
Cuban capacity is confirmed per shipment, and we combine trunk, transit and final-leg transport according to destination city and cargo attributes, so the plan stays flexible.
Cubana has no published office of its own in China; Chinese exporters with Cuba-bound cargo should contact its local agent in China or work through us. As Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) we deal with the Cubana commercial team and the ground agents at Madrid and Paris to put together a complete plan from China to Cuba.
| Step | What we handle |
|---|---|
| Step one | Give us the commodity, weight, volume, dimensions per piece, destination city and transit-time requirement so we can check loading conditions. |
| Step two | We match a Chinese origin gateway with a European hub, confirm trunk schedule and rate, and assess Madrid to Havana belly capacity at the same time. |
| Step three | Cargo flies the trunk service to Madrid, is handed over in transit, and continues to Havana in a Cubana belly hold, with every node tracked. |
| Step four | After landing in Havana the cargo is cleared into Cuba, then collected or delivered, with exceptions and claims handled. |
The customer does not have to deal separately with the trunk carrier, the European hub agent, Cubana belly capacity and the Cuban customs broker. We coordinate all of it, and trunk freight, freighter-sector charges, fuel surcharge, ground handling and document fees are itemized so the customer can see where the money goes. Before booking we check piece dimensions against door size and floor load, ruling out unworkable shipments in advance. Requests can be submitted at goodhope86.com.
Delays, damage, discrepancies between documents and cargo, and clearance holds are handled by us under carrier rules and air transport conditions, so the customer does not face unfamiliar procedures alone. At the planning stage we explain the differences in transit time, rate and transit risk between routings so the customer can decide on shipping date and budget.
Cubana long operated An-12 and An-26 turboprop freighters and the Tu-204-100EC freighter, with experience in Caribbean heavy cargo. Freighter capacity now depends mainly on third-party transhipment, and oversized or overweight pieces are assessed for charter feasibility per shipment.
General cargo needs an air waybill, commercial invoice, packing list and export declaration documents; Cuban import declaration follows destination customs requirements, restricted goods need import licenses or compliance certificates, and cargo attributes should be stated at booking.
Chinese exports to Cuba are mainly machinery and electrical products, vehicles and parts, steel and building materials, light industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and consumer goods. Each moves through the standard belly process; dangerous goods and temperature-controlled cargo must be declared at booking.
Airline Information here is compiled from the IATA member directory, airline websites and public industry data. Schedules and times are local, actual schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Cubana accepts belly cargo under general IATA rules, and Chinese exports to Cuba are mostly general air cargo. Dangerous goods, temperature-controlled and out-of-gauge cargo must be declared at booking, and we arrange capacity after checking the carrier's acceptance conditions.
| Cargo categories | Notes | China export reference |
|---|---|---|
| General cargo | Machinery and electrical products, building materials, consumer goods, textiles and apparel, and similar standard air cargo | Common Chinese export categories to Cuba, booked through the standard belly process |
| Heavy cargo in bulk | Auto parts, machinery and metal products, checked against belly payload | Batch cargo is assessed against belly capacity and suits consolidated dispatch |
| High-value cargo | Precision instruments, telecom equipment and medical devices; reinforced packing can be arranged | High-value cargo is declared per shipment, with loading and handover followed up by us |
| Dangerous goods | Battery-powered products and chemicals are accepted under IATA dangerous goods rules | Compliant declaration documents are required; confirm at the booking stage |
| Temperature-controlled cargo | Pharmaceuticals and food are carried under temperature-control requirements | Temperature conditions subject to carrier confirmation; cold-chain requirements checked before shipment |
| Over-dimensional and overweight cargo | Large equipment assessed against belly door size and floor load | Loadability is assessed in advance against individual piece dimensions and weight |
Acceptance standards for each commodity follow the actual carrier's rules; cargo transiting Europe must also meet EU transhipment rules.
No scheduled China route or office of its own is published. Chinese cargo tranships at European hubs such as Madrid and reaches Havana in Cubana belly holds, confirmed shipment by shipment.
The active fleet is mainly Il-96-300, Tu-204/Tu-214, An-158 and wet-leased A320 aircraft; An-12, An-26 and Tu-204-100EC freighters were operated in the past. Fleet composition follows the carrier's current publication.
Yes. There is no nonstop cargo flight from China to Cuba; cargo tranships at European hubs such as Madrid and Paris and arrives at Havana HAV, with all connections coordinated by us.
The network covers Havana HAV, Santiago de Cuba SCU, Varadero VRA and Camagüey CMW, and Chinese cargo can be distributed nationwide through the Havana gateway.
About 8–12 working days airport to airport and usually 12–18 days door to door. Actual transit is affected by connections, peak-season capacity and Cuban clearance, subject to confirmation on the day of booking.
The Madrid MAD routing connects directly to Havana in a Cubana belly sector and is the first choice; Paris CDG offers an alternative combination. The plan depends on shipping date and transit requirement.
General cargo needs an air waybill, commercial invoice, packing list and export declaration documents; Cuban import declaration follows destination customs requirements, and restricted goods need import licenses.
Oversized and overweight cargo is assessed shipment by shipment against freighter door size, cabin volume and floor load; a charter is considered when regular belly capacity cannot take it, subject to the cargo data.
Cargo transiting the EU follows EU transhipment rules; we coordinate transit documents and capacity connections, and cargo subject to EU inspection requirements should be described at the booking stage.
Import duty is paid by the consignee at clearance in Cuba by default; if the shipper is to bear it, DDP terms can be agreed at booking and we will help calculate duty and taxes.
Given fleet size and the international situation, belly capacity to Cuba is tight, so peak-season space should be secured two to three weeks ahead; at the planning stage we also assess alternative third-country routings.
Yes. After clearance in Havana, cargo connects by road and regional flights to Santiago, Camagüey, Varadero and other cities, with last-mile delivery coordinated with local agents.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) assesses cargo connections from China to Cuba, covering trunk booking, European transit and the Havana belly sector.
Visit goodhope86.com for air freight optionsDisclaimer: prepared by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) to describe publicly available cargo information about Cubana de Aviación S.A. Content is compiled from public sources for reference only and is not a transport contract or commitment. Rights in Cubana and its names, codes and brand marks belong to their owners; this company is an independent freight forwarder with no affiliation, agency or investment relationship with the airline. Capacity, rates and schedules are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.