Cuba Poor Saftey Record

[Moskitto]

http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=274963

"When an El Salvadorean company established a second airline, flying domestically in Cuba with Western aircraft, Washington ordered it to be closed down or face sanctions."

I don't see how this is the Cuban government's fault. When it was the US who told them to shut down the airline.

[poncho]

Cubana actual safety record is only questioned by the United States as an excuse to restrict Cuban aircraft from flying over U.S airspace therefore making the distance less in travel time and fuel costs for the Cuban airline to Canada. Many tourists flying from Toronto avoid Cubana because they must fly North to Greenland and than 150 n.m. off the coast of the United States, making the trip instead of 3 1/2 hrs to almost 7.

Funny that Canadian news did not bring a poor safety record into the crash only U.S.. Also the road conditions where very missleading, the main highways are in excellant repair. Havana to Cienfuegos often travelled at avg. speed 160 Kilometers an hour, I would have to be nuts to drive that fast if they where as suggested!!!!!

[Son of Scargill]

In view of the age of the An-2,it's no suprise that they occasionally come apart,especially with the crippling effects of economic sanctions.It's a miracle that Cuba has a national airline,but many western operators are also neglecting safety,in order to make a buck.They are not severely restricted as to their routings/slots,and business dealings,and they have better access to reputable supplies of spares,yet they still cut corners in order to make a profit.In my view this is worse.
As for the Foriegn Office warning about the roads,that seems quite standard on all descriptions of nations outside of Europe and North America.Even some European nations have it tagged on at the end.A kind of disclaimer if you like.

[poncho]

The Americans use every excuse to make it seem as though Cuba is a dangerous place to use transportation.

Roads: rural areas that a tourist does not need to go on are bad and often times dirt. Main highways between major cities are as good as any in Canada.

Airplanes: The An-2 (anna's) are older but are still in production in China. This is only one crash of a handfull since 1957 when the plane was first made worldwide. The first crash of this make in Cuba and as far as I know the only domestic crash by Cubana. Hardly making it unsafe. The fact is most of the Russian built planes currently used by Cubana are fairly new most of them built in the mid 80's early 90's, with world wide safety for the types at par or better than many Western makes. To make statements about safety like this considering that two of the crashes of Cubana jets where acts of terrorism, than the title of worlds most unsafe airline goes to United, after all they crashed into the World Trade Center and than several weeks later crash in New Jersey.

Personaly you could not pay me to fly on a Areo Taxi AN2 in Cuba, take one look at them and those passengers where freakin nuts!