Havana Airport
Havana Airport (HAV)
The Rancho Boyeros airport is located 18 kilometers from Havana and is named after José Martí to honor the Cuban patriot and poet. It is the main airport for international and domestic flights in Cuba, serving a large number of passengers each year, mainly from Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and France . Havana airport is a hub for Cubana de Aviación, Aero Gaviota and Aero Caribbean.
The capital’s airfield currently has 5 terminals named by their number. Terminal 1 provides services to domestic flights of Cubana de Aviación. Terminal 2 receives planes from the United States, charters arriving from Miami, flights from Cayman Airways and Bahamasair. Likewise, some Europeans like Condor, which arrives in Cuba since September 2014, land at this terminal. On the other hand, Terminal 5 provides services to Aerocaribbean and other charters. Terminal 4, although it may seem strange, is the only one not known by number. This is the International Cargo Terminal, an alliance between the company Cargosur, part of the Iberia group of Spain, and Aerovaradero SA. This terminal has a capacity of 600 tons and 2 thousand cubic meters of space.
Of all the terminals, number 3 is the most modern and the one that receives the largest number of passengers. Its 70,000-square-meter runway is used to land medium- and large-sized aircraft of airlines such as AirFrance, KLM and Copa Airlines. This terminal, internally, has an area of 30 thousand square meters. There you will enjoy a restaurant, cafeteria, stores and commercial areas. Every year there are more and more airlines that want to invest in Cuba as a destination and José Martí Airport in Havana is the first door of the country in that sense.
Havana Airport Design and location
Therefore, it is designed to serve 1,500 passengers per hour at peak times and about 3 million per year. Similar to the most modern airports on the continent, it has 10 elevators and 6 escalators. It has 48 “stands” for international airlines. It also has 32 immigration booths, 36 for travelers’ checks and 2 VIP lounges with capacity for 150 personalities. Getting there is super easy. You can use two roads: take the Avenida de Rancho Boyeros or go by an accessory highway of 7.5 km long, which connects Terminal 3 with Avenida 114 de Marianao. Now, by public transportation you would use routes P-9, P-12 and P-16. Although you could also take cabs. There is a bus service to transfer between the terminals.
Due to the U.S. embargo against Cuba, no U.S. airline was allowed to make scheduled flights to the airport, so all regular flights from Miami were designated as charters. Several airlines operated continuous service between Havana and Miami, including American Airlines, Gulfstream International Airlines, United Airlines, and Continental Airlines. Because of Cuba’s relationship with the Soviet Union, during the 1970s and 1980s the airport enjoyed the presence of many Eastern Bloc airlines.
As part of the Cuban meltdown, scheduled commercial service to and from the United States began again in the fall of 2016, with American Airlines, Delta, and, after January 2017, Alaska, flying to Havana.1
Havana Airport Terminals
Terminal 3 waiting room.
Delta Air Lines employees in Terminal 3.
There are currently 3 general-purpose passenger terminals at the airport.2 Terminal 1 is mainly used for domestic flights. Terminal 2 was opened in 1988, mainly for charter flights to the United States. Ten years later, on April 27, 1998, International Terminal 3 was opened. International Terminal 3 offers many modern facilities and aircraft access gateways that the old International Terminal 1 did not provide. For transfers between terminals, bus services are offered.
Terminal 1
Domestic Terminal 1 used to be the main domestic and international terminal building at the airport before the opening of Terminals 2 and 3, which was built in 1998. The terminal is located on the east side of runway 6. It is now used primarily for domestic flights.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 handles some international long-haul flights, such as to Zurich, Frankfurt and Helsinki, along with some Caribbean flights, such as to Aruba, Trinidad and Tobago, and most scheduled charter flights to and from Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and New York City. Scheduled charters to the United States are operated by Gulfstream Air Charters, ABC Charters, Marazul Charters, CTS Charters and C & T Charters. The terminal is located on the north side approximately 2 kilometers from terminal 3, and is directly across from the threshold of runway 24. It was built in 1988 when the first charters opened after the revolution from Miami. There are bars, bookstores, kiosks and also a restaurant on the second floor, as well as car rentals.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 International is the main international terminal that was opened in 1998. It is the largest and most modern of all terminals. The documentation counters and departures are on the upper level, arrivals and baggage carousels are on the lower level. There are several car rentals located in the arrivals area.
