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A law firm in the United States has filed a federal lawsuit against Delta Air Lines Inc., accusing it of unlawfully benefiting from the José Martí International Airport in Havana, a property that -according to the plaintiff- was confiscated without compensation by the Cuban regime after the 1959 Revolution.
The lawsuit, filed under the terms of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, marks another chapter in the legal offensive led by descendants of expropriated owners in Cuba, who are seeking justice through U.S. courts.
The plaintiff: An heir of confiscated property
The plaintiff is José Ramón López Regueiro, son of the Cuban businessman José López Vilaboy, who was the owner of the airport before it was nationalized by Fidel Castro's government.
López Regueiro claims to be the rightful heir to the property and alleges that Delta operated commercial flights—both cargo and passenger— to and from the Havana airport without his consent or providing any compensation.
“This is an important case not only for Mr. Regueiro, but for the entire Cuban-American community whose properties were confiscated and exploited by American companies in partnership with the Cuban communist dictatorship,” said Jorge A. Mestre, a partner at the law firm Rivero Mestre LLP, which is handling the legal representation of the plaintiff, in statements reported by Telemundo 51.
Accusation of "trafficking" under the Helms-Burton Act
The Helms-Burton Act, officially called Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, was enacted in 1996 with the aim of tightening the embargo on Cuba and providing legal mechanisms for U.S. citizens and Cuban Americans whose properties were expropriated following the Revolution.
Although its Title III had been suspended by all governments since its approval, in 2019 the Trump Administration lifted that suspension, allowing for lawsuits to be filed for the first time.
Under this legislation, any use or benefit derived from confiscated property without the authorization of its rightful owner is considered "trafficking."
In that context, Delta Air Lines is being accused of continuously exploiting José Martí Airport, one of the main confiscated assets, without compensating its former owners.
According to the text of the lawsuit, Delta would have received prior warnings about the property claim from López Regueiro, which would activate an aggravated provision of the law: the payment of triple damages, a penalty established when the accused continues to benefit from the asset after being notified.
Legal and symbolic repercussions
Beyond the individual responsibility of the airline, the case stands out as emblematic in the broader context of claims under the Helms-Burton Act.
Since Title III was activated, numerous descendants of former owners have initiated legal actions against hotel companies, shipping companies, tech firms, and now airlines, for operating on properties that were nationalized by the Cuban regime without compensation.
“We are proud to play a role in seeking justice under the Helms-Burton Act,” Mestre stated in a declaration that emphasizes the strategic nature of the lawsuit: more than an isolated case, this is a legal offensive with implications for any company that has commercial ties to properties expropriated on the island.
Delta Air Lines and its relationship with Cuba
Delta is one of several American airlines that have operated flights to Cuba following the partial restoration of relations between Washington and Havana during Barack Obama's administration.
Although the bilateral approach cooled under the Trump administration, some business operations—especially those of a humanitarian, familial, or cultural nature—continued to be carried out.
José Martí International Airport, located in the Cuban capital, is the most important air terminal in the country and the main entry point for international travelers.
It has been used for decades by airlines around the world, including several American ones, without any direct legal claims regarding its use until now.
What comes next?
The legal process has just begun, and Delta is expected to respond to the federal court.
The company has not yet made any public statements regarding the lawsuit.
The case will be closely monitored by other companies operating in Cuba and by groups from the Cuban exile community, who view the Helms-Burton Act as a legitimate tool for seeking justice in response to decades of unpunished expropriations.
Ultimately, the lawsuit raises a broader question about the limits of corporate responsibility in complex geopolitical contexts and about the real scope of a law that, despite having been dormant for more than two decades, has been revived with vigor in U.S. courts.
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