Cubana de Aviación loses permits to operate in Ecuador.

The state airline Cubana de Aviación lost its operating permits to fly in Ecuador, after they were recently revoked by the authorities.

The National Civil Aviation Council (CNAC) of the South American nation issued that decision in Agreement No. 025/2024 on July 2, ending the regular international cargo and mail operations that the Cuban airline was carrying out in the country, as reported by the news blog Nicolás Larenas.

Cubana de Aviación has faced difficulties in operating in Ecuador, mainly due to the lack of functioning of its only cargo plane, the Tupolev Tu-204-100EC, parked in Havana unable to be reactivated.

Furthermore, the definitive closure of its commercial partner LAS from Colombia, which was operating a weekly flight to Quito Airport on its behalf, worsened the situation.

The CNAC based its decision on the non-compliance with the provisions of Article 48 of the Regulations for Operating Permits for the Provision of Commercial Air Transport Services, as well as on the revocation cause established in section i) of Article 53 of the same regulation.

The airline has not operated in Ecuador for over a year, which led the authorities to revoke its permit.

In June 2017, Cubana de Aviación had shown its intention to operate regular passenger flights from Havana to Quito and Guayaquil with up to five flights between both cities. However, this initiative did not prosper because the airline did not meet the necessary requirements for the granting of those routes.

The revocation of the operating permit represents a hard blow to Cubana de Aviación, which has been operating in Ecuador for several years. This measure could also have a small negative impact on the Ecuadorian economy, as the Cuban airline was the only one offering direct cargo flights between Ecuador and Cuba.

According to Article 54 of the Regulation of Operation Permits for the Provision of Commercial Air Transport Services, Cubana de Aviación may not apply for a new operating permit until a minimum of six months have passed since the date of final execution of the revocation resolution.

Additionally, the airline must address the reasons that led to the revocation before being able to reapply for operating in Ecuador.