By Roberto Morejón

Transportation in Cuba is one of the branches most affected, mainly due to the US blockade, and aviation is not exempt, although encouraging nuances emerge.

Due to the siege of the Northern power, the inclusion of Cuba in an arbitrary list of sponsors of terrorism and the incidence of the pandemic, programs for the recovery of aircraft, primarily Russian, suffered a resounding halt.

The process of reestablishing the fleet, which has almost completely declined, is subject to the manufacturing capacities of spare parts and the currently restricted financial possibilities of Cuba.

However, the Ministry of Transportation is evaluating options to acquire new devices and restore, as far as possible, flights to important international destinations and restore potential to internal passengers.

The authorities were forced to use connections from airlines that operate in the country to make up for the deficit in domestic passenger transportation.

Thanks to new agreements with Russia, the Ministry of Transport reported with satisfaction on the return to the country of an Il 96-300 aircraft and a Tupolev TU-204E, after their rehabilitation.

While waiting for another ship, the information recently provided by the Cuban Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, who is very active on the networks, stood out.

The owner returned from Moscow, where he attended the signing of two contracts that he described as important, for the reestablishment, expansion and sustainability of the Cubana de Aviación fleet.

The agreements with the Slavic country, which include contributions and assistance for the benefit of railways and land transportation, place the flagship airline, Cubana de Aviación, in a better perspective on its 95th anniversary.

The minister himself recalled that years ago minibuses, cars for the taxi service, trucks and PAZ buses arrived from Russia, although he clarified that a part of these investments remain out of service due to lack of spare parts, due to the financial situation of the country.

Based on the steps taken, which still do not allow an immediate recovery, attention was drawn to the call by the Cuban Aviation Corporation to a job fair for young people eager to work in the entity.

All of this occurs at a time when Cubana de Aviación regains connection between Havana and Panama City, after doing so to Venezuela, in addition to maintaining domestic flights to Holguín and Santiago de Cuba, in the east of the archipelago.