The evolution of Cuba's air transport network in the Embargo Era: 1967–2017

Beginning in 1961 the United States government enacted a series of laws that embargoed, or prohibited, trade and travel between the U.S. and Cuba. Because of these actions, from 1962 until August 2016 there were no regularly scheduled commercial flights between the United States and Cuba. With improvement in relations under the Obama administration, U.S. airlines were given the green light to resume such operations. This renewed relationship has created an opportunity to examine the changes in Cuba's air transport network during the first 50 years of the embargo. This paper examines the evolution of Cuba's air transport network after losing connectivity with the U.S., and attempts to establish a baseline for future research that evaluates the air network changes resulting from regained U.S. connectivity. The paper hypothesizes that the U.S. embargo inadvertently helped create a broader air transport network for Cuba because the island was forced to seek new alliances and sources of revenue. This hypothesis is evaluated by reconstructing Cuba's air transport network using historical airline schedules between 1967 and 2017, and analyzing changes in air transport links, gateway access, and capacity. Results point to a more restricted air transport network up until the collapse of the Soviet Union; and a period of development characterized by a wider international reach, deeper penetration at home, and the internationalization of Cuba's capacity.