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José Martí International Airport, the largest airport in Cuba, is located nine miles (15 kilometers) west of the island nations capital Havana, on Avenida Van Troy, just off Avenida Rancho Boyeros. José Martí International Airport has four terminals which service several million passengers every year arriving in Cuba on over 25 airlines. José Martí International Airport receives flights from all across the Caribbean, Central America and South America, as well as New York, Miami, Montreal, Toronto, Amsterdam, London, Madrid and Paris. There are several tourist information kiosks scattered throughout the four terminals.
José Martí International Airport destiny has always seemed linked to Cuba’s relationship with the United States. The airport was constructed in 1929, and opened in 1930 at a time when the Wall Street stock market crash had caused the price of sugar to plummet, dragging down the Cuban economy along with it. José Martí International Airports first international flight – Havana to Miami – took place in 1943; it wasn't until 1950 that a second European international route was added. In 1961 after the Cuban missile crisis and the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion, the United States broke off all relations with Cuba and imposed an economic embargo. A gradual improvement in Cuban/US relations was heralded by the charter flights that started operating between Havana and Miami in the early 1990s.
José Martí International Airports Terminals 1 and 5 are primarily used for flights from other parts of Cuba. The Cuban-based airline Aerocaribbean uses Terminal 5 as its hub.
Terminal 2 was specially constructed in 1988 to accommodate the needs of the charter flights that had begun to arrive carrying US citizens from places like New York and Miami. These charter flights were operated by companies like Gulfstream Air Charters, ABC Charters, Marazul Charters and C & T Charters, and special permission had to be obtained from the US government before US citizens could book passage on them. These charter flights continue to be popular today.
Terminal 3, the largest and most modern of José Martí International Airports passenger facilities, was built in 1998 as a collaborative construction project between Cuba and Canada. Terminal 3 is the primary arrival and departure point for international commercial flights, and boasts a full array of cafes, bars and restaurants, open 24 hours a day, as well a bank, a post office and Internet access.
The most convenient transportation into Havana and around the island from José Martí Airport is by taxi. The taxi stand is outside Terminal 3, and operates 24 hours a day. Another way of getting around is by rental car; five Cuban-based rental car companies -- Cubanacar, Fenix, Rent a Car, Rex Transtour and Via Rent a Car – are also located in Terminal 3. |
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