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Four years after the rules for travel between the U.S. and Cuba began to relax, aircraft repair services still remain in short supply in the island nation. But the easing of rules in recent years facilitates bringing in parts, mechanics, or other supplies to support aircraft that encounter AOG situations in Cuba, said Eric Norber, founder of Cuba Handling.
When the U.S. opened the door to travel to Cuba, the ability to repair aircraft in country was a chief concern. “There is not a lot of local mechanics or repair shops available in Cuba,” said Norber. “But, knowing that, Cuban authorities put in place in a policy that opens the door for whatever support you need you can bring in. It’s just at the expense of the operator.”
With the policy changes, he added, “There is no customs process. There’s no immigration for mechanics. It is really open access for the support or repair of any AOG aircraft in Cuba.”
On the U.S. side, the removal of Cuba from the list of nations with certain export bans in 2016 eased the ability to bring in parts and equipment necessary for support.
Cuba Handling, which has specialized in Cuban operations handling for more than 27 years, has assisted aircraft operators with issues as small as tire changes and to as large as an engine swap, he said, adding the latter being on an airline airframe. All were completed on the ramp in Cuba by U.S. mechanics. Norber cautioned that travel logistics, such as hotels and transportation, must be arranged through a handling company.
Some MRO shops from around the world have held discussions with the Cuban government over the possibility of opening a facility there, Norber said, adding he was not yet aware of any concrete deal that has resulted from that dialog. Importantly, though, he said, “The Cuban government is open to discussion for assistance from some aviation companies outside of Cuba to help them keep up their aviation infrastructure, whether that be FBOs or repair shops.”
Norber noted that Cuba still remains a largely cash nation. Any services required in Cuba that are not preplanned and/or paid through a handling company will require cash payment. Services, such as fueling, should be arranged in advanced, Norber stressed.
Cuba does not have private terminals for business and general aviation. However, he said, in the past four years, “the Cuban infrastructure for welcoming or supporting private or general aviation aircraft has improved. While there are no FBO-style facilities or VIP lounges, they have substantially improved their training, procedures, and the overall quality of services they are providing to private aircraft arriving in Cuba.”
The threat of new restrictions for Cuba travel has dampened interest in travel there, but in reality, little has changed on the regulatory front. And the services and processes to get to the tiny island nation continue to improve, said Cuba Handling founder Eric Norber. What hasn’t changed, he said: “a rich and diverse culture” that has given the sense of being frozen in time.
Norber, whose company has more than 27 years of handling Cuban operations for passengers and operators, will be on hand at NBAA at the Cuba Handling booth (2165) to provide an overview and answer questions about the ins and outs of Cuban traveling.
He estimated that he has seen as much as a 50 percent drop-off in interest since travel peaked in the 2015-2016 time frame. Norber attributed much of this drop-off to rhetoric from the current administration regarding the potential for a reversal of the eased restrictions on Cuba travel that occurred under President Barack Obama.
But in practice, the Trump administration has only altered the list of permissible reasons for travel to Cuba and highlighted the list of entities where direct financial transactions are prohibited.
Beginning in 2014, the Obama administration had begun easing travel and licensing requirements to enter Cuba. Two of the key changes involved the elimination of a requirement for passengers to obtain a license through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control before traveling to Cuba; and the removal of Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, which eliminated a requirement for operators to obtain a temporary sojourn license from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) before flying to Cuba.
Travel, however, originally had to fall under one of 12 categories related to education, research, athletics/public performance, humanitarian, missions, journalistic activity, government business, and certain export transactions such as information exchange, among others. These categories have been fairly broad, allowing for a range of reasons.
In 2017, the administration added requirements to certain categories involving educational and “support for the Cuban people” travel. The administration also removed a category: the authorization for individual people-to-people educational travel.
Infrastructure Improvements
As travel restrictions eased in the U.S., the Cuba government began to make accommodations of its own to prepare for an influx of U.S. visitors. For business and general aviation, the country did not—and still does not—have private terminals or FBOs. However, Norber said, in the past four years, “the Cuban infrastructure for welcoming or supporting private or general aviation aircraft has improved. While there are no FBO-style facilities or VIP lounges, they have substantially improved their training, procedures, and the overall quality of services they are providing to private aircraft arriving in Cuba.”
Another key area has been on providing maintenance. “There are not a lot of local mechanics or repair shops available in Cuba,” said Norber. “But, knowing that, Cuban authorities put in place in a policy that opens the door; whatever support you need, you can bring in. It’s just at the expense of the operator.”
With the policy changes, he added, “There is no customs process. There’s no immigration for mechanics. It is really open access for the support or repair of any AOG aircraft in Cuba.”
On the U.S. side, the removal of Cuba from the list of nations with certain export bans in 2016 eased the ability to bring in parts and equipment necessary for support.
Some MRO shops from around the world have held discussions with the Cuban government about the possibility of opening a facility there, Norber said, adding he is not aware of any concrete deal that has resulted from that dialog. Importantly, though, he said, “The Cuban government is open to discussion for assistance from some aviation companies outside of Cuba to help them keep up their aviation infrastructure, whether that be FBOs or repair shops.”
In addition, he said, hotel accommodations have improved. “Recent foreign investment in Cuba has allowed for the construction of new five-star hotels. The availability of hotels with world-class standards is now there,” he added.
As some changes have arrived, much in Cuba has remained the same, Norber added. Beyond improved hotels, the Cuban government has shown little appetite for other international chains, he said, noting visitors will not encounter McDonalds and Starbucks on every corner there. “While the government is modernizing some aspects, it is still longing to hold on to charms of a simpler life.”
Also, Norber pointed out, Cuba remains a cash economy. This makes planning difficult. Making reservations for hotels and cars is already difficult, but nothing is guaranteed unless paid in cash. Communications difficulties complicate matters. Finding the right place for reservations can be difficult. For instance, the airport authorities arrange for fueling services at airports. The airport authority is a branch of the government. Fueling must be arranged in advance, he said.
“Aircraft operators typically book and pay online,” he said, adding this is not the case in Cuba. “None of the normal travel conventions apply when you are talking about Cuba. You can’t book online, and even if you could, they don’t take credit cards.”
A way around this, he said, is working with a handling firm that has operations in Cuba that can prepay these transactions in cash before the operator arrives.
Norber advises that people plan at least three months in advance before traveling to Cuba. “Hotel accommodations are in short supply and book quickly,” he said. While the world-class standards are now available, “the same challenges with booking and paying apply.”
Other advice: bring more cash then a person would believe necessary. “Because of the lack of banking relationships in Cuba, once you are in Cuba the amount of cash you have is the amount of you will have.” ATMs are unavailable, so there is no way to get extra cash, he said.
Finally, use a handling agency that can pave the way, he stressed.
Cuba has come under a spotlight after reports surfaced of potential sonic attacks on diplomats. In fact, the State Department last summer issued another travel advisory to Cuba, citing those incidents. But Norber stressed that they have not involved other visitors, and earlier this year, the nation was voted as the safest travel destination in the world. In addition, all aircraft are guarded 24/7 at every airport, he added. Travel there, he said, “represents an incredible opportunity to visit and explore a rich and diverse culture 90 miles south of Key West that has been off limits to Americans for the better part of 60 years.”