Member's Home Forums General Discussion Bahamas / Caribbean CUBA - Flying Private Aircrafft to Cuba

Since January of 2015, U.S. requirements and regulations for flying private aircraft to Cuba have continued to relax and CST continues to monitor the situation. The information below should only serve as a guideline to the current state of affairs for Part 91 operations from the U.S. to Cuba and can be expected to continue changing in the near future as diplomatic relations between the two countries continue to normalize.

There are now 12 authorized travel categories that qualify under OFAC (Office of Foreign Asset Control) Department of the Treasury’s for a General License. Earlier this year the requirement to obtain a temporary sojourn license from the Bureau of Industry and Security BIS (Department of Commerce) was lifted and U.S. citizens flying part 91 to Cuba need to determine on their own if they fall into any of the license exception categories established by BIS. OFAC and BIS appear to be working in coordination which was not the case earlier this year. In spite of all these changes it is important to note that Travel for tourism to Cuba is still prohibited. The U.S. trade embargo has not been lifted.

For more details on recent updates published in September 2015, please follow the link below:

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf

Additional points of interest:
• There have also been relaxations in the regulations allowing spare part shipments to Cuba to exchange a part in case of mechanical and/or maintenance issue.
• You still need to check with your insurance company to see if coverage may include Cuba.
• Aircraft are allowed to stay in Cuba for up to 7 days. Professional crew, however, cannot.
• You are required to keep records of your travel and related transactions with Cuba for 5 year after the travel.

Our position remains to be that there are still a number of issues that need to be clarified and corroborated before we will feel comfortable sending customers to Cuba.

The FAA restricts operations to the following authorized designated CBP airports for flights to Cuba. Below please find the list of authorized CBP airports.

Approved U.S. Ports of Entry for Flights to and from Cuba
CBP has determined that the 19 airports listed below are suitable to accommodate flights traveling between the U.S. and Cuba:

California:
Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA
Oakland International Airport, Oakland, CA

Florida:
Key West International Airport, Key West, FL
Miami International Airport, Miami, FL
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, FL
Palm Beach International Airport, FL
Southwest Florida International Airport, Ft. Myers, FL
Tampa International Airport, FL
Orlando International Airport, Orlando, FL

Georgia:
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA

Illinois:
Chicago O'Hare International Airport, IL

Louisiana:
New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, LA

Texas:
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, TX
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, TX
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX

Maryland:
Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Aiport, MD

Minnesota:
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, MN

New York
John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, NY

Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh International Airport, PA

Puerto Rico:
San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, PR
Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Please contact CST at info@caribbeanskytours.com or call our toll free number 888 632-3196 if you have additional questions or comments.

1

No more restriction on US airports that can provide CBP arrival and departure services for flights to and from Cuba. Standard procedures for international departures and arrivals from South of the Border apply as with any other international flight.

Hey Rick,

Do you have a checklist of what to expect when landing in Cuba as far as paperwork without using a handler? I have seen how to file the APIS for Cuba and the email address for landing permits. Also, I have the US GenDecs for the customs paperwork. Outside of that, is there anything else to prepare prior to landing in Cuba (outside of 91.709 and eAPIS)?

What kind of fees would we expect to pay in cash upon arrival and departure to/from Cuba?

Thanks,

Ryan

Hello Ryan,

Here are some things that you need to make sure that you take care of:

1) Be certain that you qualify for on of the 12 General Licenses as outlined by the US Government. You must keep adequate documentation of your trip and activities in the event that the US Government were to question your trip

2) Make sure that if your aircraft is financed, the finance company has no restrictions on travel to Cuba

3) Make sure that your insurance policy covers you in Cuba.

4) Comply with FAR 91.709

5) Plan your trip so that you are not on the island for more than 7 days

6) Plan your fuel accordingly. There are only 2 airports with AVGAS, Havana and Varadero

7) Obtain a Tourist VISA from a Cuban consulate or Embassy prior to arriving in Cuba

8) Obtain a Landing Permit from the Cuban Civil Aviation authorities prior to filing your flight plan. The cost of the permit is minimal and under certain instances is free. You must make your first landing and last takeoff from an Airport Of Entry (AOE) and not visit more than 2 airports within Cuba

9) File your Departure USA eAPIS as required by USA regulations

10) File your Cuban ARRIVAL APIS and verify receipt of transmission and approval

11) File your IFR Flight Plan

12) You will need to convert USD to Cuban CUC's for paying fees and services.