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Present and future


Present and future

SACTA's current and future fleet as of February 2021 (excludes Antonov An-158)

Current fleet:

2x ATR 72 (+2 on order)
2x Tupolev Tu-204-100
2x Tupolev Tu-204-100C
5x Ilyushin Il-96-300

Not shown: 6x Antonov An-158

Future fleet:

3x Ilyishin Il-96-400M

SACTA's efforts to modernise are closely related to the airline's strategic importance for the Cuban government and its foreign relations. Apart from passenger operations, SACTA's aircraft are also typically used by high-level Cuban government officials on trips abroad. SACTA's pilots and technicians have typically served in the Cuban air force and are therefore experienced in the operation and maintenance of multiple types of aircraft. Most of SACTA's flight attendants have medical training or experience which makes it possible to deal with health emergencies on board. In this respect, the airline benefits from Cuba's exceptionally large per capita number of medical doctors and health personnel (one of the highest in the world) and can market its services in the growing area of medical tourism. The large and increasing number of tourists who visit Cuba for medical treatment makes this a promising market for SACTA in the future, in addition to Cuba's growing tourism sector which has been a key driver of economic growth on the island. Cuba's well-developed airport infrastructure, with ten international airports capable of serving wide-body aircraft and long-range flights, makes it possible for SACTA to expand its international services to new destinations and markets.

A major question for SACTA's future is the continuation of the U.S. embargo on Cuba. The embargo, imposed in February 1962, is the longest-running trade blockade in history and has been consistently and continuously condemned by the United Nations for several decades. Cuba now receives millions of visitors every year and stands to become one of the most important tourist destinations in Latin America, despite the embargo's efforts to isolate it, and to damage SACTA and all other Cuba-based airlines. The embargo and other U.S. actions have done considerable damage to SACTA over the years, involving direct or indirect destruction of aircraft by U.S. aerial bombing raids, acts of sabotage, hijackings, bombings, arson, cancellations of landing rights, obstruction of services, freezing of financial assets, deaths of staff and passengers, and numerous other acts by the U.S. government, U.S.-based parties, or both. Most such acts have violated international laws and international commercial aviation agreements, as well as national sovereignty rights, and some can easily be classified as undeclared acts of war or terrorism. SACTA clearly stands to seek much compensation from the U.S. when the embargo ends, though the amounts to be sought, compounded over time, are likely to be quite substantial.



    Lovely! Ilyushins be looking fine.

    Wow these are nice I thought this airline would be going western

    Wow these are nice I thought this airline would be going western

    Why would you think that? It's Cuban

    Apart from that, I really like this. Well done!

    Why would you think that? It's Cuban
    Apart from that, I really like this. Well done!

    True that ,well I just skipped over that fact because I like this livery

    True that ,well I just skipped over that fact because I like this livery

    It seems like SACTA is your favorite brand in my airline portfolio, isn't it?

    It seems like SACTA is your favorite brand in my airline portfolio, isn't it?

    Yes it is :)