{"id":28422,"date":"2025-08-26T11:26:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=28422"},"modified":"2025-08-27T08:07:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:07:38","slug":"cuba-ops-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/cuba-ops-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuba Ops Guide: Why Most Private Jets Can\u2019t Go"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6><strong>Key Points<\/strong><\/h6>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Private flights:<\/strong> Technically banned. US BIS requires a license for any US-built aircraft (or aircraft with more than 10% US parts), regardless of where it\u2019s registered or where it\u2019s flying from \u2014 and those applications for private flights are almost always denied.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Commercial flights:<\/strong> If there\u2019s any US link to the flight (a US person, company, someone physically in the US, or a USD payment), then OFAC rules apply \u2014 meaning the trip must fit into one of 12 allowed categories. You\u2019ll also need to use the BIS AVS license exception (max stay in Cuba 7 days), apply to DOT for route\/frequency approval (if you\u2019re a US operator). If you&#8217;re heading from Cuba to the US you&#8217;ll need to land at a CBP-designated southern airport of entry.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overflights:<\/strong> Fine, but pay NAV fees or risk being blocked. US operators must use a third-party vendor to arrange both the overflight permit and payment of fees.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Landings:<\/strong> Relatively straightforward on the Cuba side of things: Cuban permit (3 days), local handler\/sponsor, e-visa on arrival.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Insurance:<\/strong> Many policies exclude Cuba. US underwriters may not honour claims unless you\u2019ve confirmed the trip in advance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Thinking of flying to Cuba?<\/h4>\n<p>Here\u2019s the part most operators miss \u2014 and honestly, we missed it too until we dug into the rules. Almost every modern bizjet in the world is either US-built or contains enough US technology (&gt;10%) to fall under US export law. And under those rules, private flights to Cuba are technically banned. It doesn\u2019t matter where the aircraft is registered, who owns it, or where it\u2019s flying from \u2014 if it\u2019s US-origin, the US government decides whether it can go. And for private flights, the answer is almost always \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This guide explains why, who the US \u201cgatekeepers\u201d are, and what you need to clear if you want to operate to Cuba. We\u2019ve split it into two parts \u2013 Legal Stuff and Operational Stuff \u2013 so you can see both the law and the logistics.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Legal Stuff<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>Are you even legally allowed to fly to Cuba? For most operators, the answer isn\u2019t obvious \u2014 because three US agencies can have a say. Two of them are the real gatekeepers:<\/p>\n<p><strong>BIS (Bureau of Industry and Security):<\/strong> Decides whether your <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">aircraft<\/span> can go, under US export control law.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control):<\/strong> Regulates the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">people and the money<\/span> \u2014 who\u2019s onboard, who\u2019s paying, and whether the trip fits into one of 12 legal travel categories.<\/p>\n<p>The third one only matters if you\u2019re a US airline or charter operator:<\/p>\n<p><strong>DOT (Department of Transportation): <\/strong>Controls which <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">routes and how many flights US carriers can operate<\/span> to Cuba. Foreign operators can ignore this.<\/p>\n<p>So let&#8217;s take a look at these in a bit more detail&#8230;<\/p>\n<h4>Gatekeeper #1: BIS (US Bureau of Industry and Security)<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"1084\" data-end=\"1147\">BIS is why almost no private bizjets can legally fly to Cuba.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1149\" data-end=\"1425\">Under US export law, any aircraft that\u2019s <strong data-start=\"1192\" data-end=\"1206\">US-built<\/strong> or contains <strong data-start=\"1219\" data-end=\"1247\">more than 10% US parts<\/strong> is treated as a US-origin item. Flying such an aircraft to Cuba \u2014 from anywhere in the world \u2014 counts as an export or reexport under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecfr.gov\/current\/title-15\/subtitle-B\/chapter-VII\/subchapter-C\/part-734\/section-734.3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EAR rules.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1427\" data-end=\"1572\">It doesn\u2019t matter where the aircraft is registered, who owns it, or who\u2019s onboard \u2014 BIS only cares about the aircraft\u2019s <strong data-start=\"1547\" data-end=\"1569\">origin and content<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1574\" data-end=\"1611\">Here\u2019s what that means in practice:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1613\" data-end=\"2132\">\n<li data-start=\"1613\" data-end=\"1761\">\n<p data-start=\"1615\" data-end=\"1761\"><strong data-start=\"1615\" data-end=\"1635\">Private flights:<\/strong> Need a BIS license, and BIS applies a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecfr.gov\/current\/title-15\/subtitle-B\/chapter-VII\/subchapter-C\/part-746\/section-746.2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">policy of denial<\/a>. In other words, your application will almost never be approved.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1762\" data-end=\"2132\">\n<p data-start=\"1764\" data-end=\"1968\"><strong data-start=\"1764\" data-end=\"1808\">Commercial flights (airline or charter):<\/strong> Can operate under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecfr.gov\/current\/title-15\/subtitle-B\/chapter-VII\/subchapter-C\/part-740\/section-740.15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AVS license exception.<\/a> You don\u2019t apply for a license each time, but you must self-certify that the flight meets the AVS conditions:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1971\" data-end=\"2132\">\n<li data-start=\"1971\" data-end=\"2051\">\n<p data-start=\"1973\" data-end=\"2051\">The aircraft remains under your control (can\u2019t be handed to a Cuban entity).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1971\" data-end=\"2051\">\n<p data-start=\"1973\" data-end=\"2051\">Stay capped at 7 days.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2087\" data-end=\"2132\">\n<p data-start=\"2089\" data-end=\"2132\">Records must be kept to prove compliance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2134\" data-end=\"2480\"><strong data-start=\"2134\" data-end=\"2155\">What BIS told us:<\/strong> Even we weren\u2019t sure at first \u2014 so we asked them directly: what about a US-built, foreign-registered jet flying privately to Cuba from outside the US? Their answer: it\u2019s still treated as an export\/reexport. Unless AVS (commercial) applies, a license is required \u2014 and private-flight licenses are almost never approved.<\/p>\n<h4>Gatekeeper #2: OFAC (US Office of Foreign Assets Control)<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"130\" data-end=\"376\">If BIS decides whether the <em data-start=\"157\" data-end=\"167\">aircraft<\/em> can go, OFAC decides whether the <em data-start=\"201\" data-end=\"219\">people and money<\/em> are allowed. And like BIS, OFAC\u2019s reach is global \u2014 if there\u2019s a US link, it doesn\u2019t matter where the flight starts or where the aircraft is registered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"378\" data-end=\"407\"><strong data-start=\"382\" data-end=\"405\">What triggers OFAC: <\/strong>Any one of these is enough to put the entire flight under OFAC rules:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"482\" data-end=\"576\">A US person (citizen, resident, company, or anyone physically in the US) is involved, or<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"482\" data-end=\"576\">The transaction touches the US financial system (eg. a USD payment).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"655\" data-end=\"806\"><em data-start=\"655\" data-end=\"665\">Example:<\/em> A French-registered Falcon flying Paris\u2013Havana still needs OFAC compliance if a single US passenger is onboard or the payment is in USD.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"808\" data-end=\"833\"><strong data-start=\"812\" data-end=\"831\">What\u2019s allowed: <\/strong>Tourism is banned. Instead, OFAC only permits travel under <a href=\"https:\/\/ofac.treasury.gov\/faqs\/topic\/1541\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">12 specific categories<\/a> (family visits, journalism, education, humanitarian work, etc).<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"988\" data-end=\"1013\"><strong>How you comply: <\/strong>If your purpose clearly fits one of the 12 categories, you don\u2019t apply in advance. You operate under a <em data-start=\"1141\" data-end=\"1158\">general license<\/em> \u2014 but you must keep records proving the trip qualified.<b> <\/b>If the trip doesn\u2019t fit a general license, you need a <em data-start=\"1296\" data-end=\"1314\">specific license<\/em>. These are rarely granted outside humanitarian or official cases and can take months to obtain.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1414\" data-end=\"1560\"><strong>In short: <\/strong>Any US link brings OFAC into play, anywhere in the world \u2014 and if your purpose isn\u2019t one of the 12 categories, you\u2019re not going.<\/p>\n<h4>Gatekeeper #3: DOT (US Department of Transportation)<\/h4>\n<p>DOT controls which <em>routes<\/em> US airlines and charter operators are allowed to fly \u2014 and <em>how many flights<\/em> can operate.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28432\" src=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cuba-Airports-1024x637.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cuba-Airports-1024x637.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cuba-Airports-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cuba-Airports-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cuba-Airports-1536x955.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cuba-Airports-2048x1273.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In 2020 they banned all US charter flights to Cuba except MUHA\/Havana, but that ban was <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/US-Cuba-flights-June-2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lifted in 2022.<\/a> Today, US airlines and charter operators can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/policy\/aviation-policy\/licensing\/public-charters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">apply for service<\/a> to multiple Cuban airports, but only within the limits set by DOT. They decide both the destinations and the number of flights allowed.<\/p>\n<p>DOT rules <strong>do not apply to foreign operators.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><del>Gatekeeper #4:<\/del> FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration)<\/h4>\n<p>Maybe surprisingly, for Cuba ops, the FAA isn\u2019t in the gatekeeper role! The FAA\u2019s focus is <em>safety and air navigation<\/em>, not sanctions or export rules.<\/p>\n<p>If BIS and OFAC say a flight is ok, the FAA won\u2019t block it just because the destination is Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>The FAA issues <a href=\"https:\/\/safeairspace.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">airspace warnings for some countries<\/a>, but not for Cuba \u2014 there are <strong>no FAA restrictions on flights<\/strong> heading here.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Operational Stuff<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>Goodness, wasn&#8217;t that tedious! Now for the slightly more interesting operational stuff to watch out for.<\/p>\n<h4>Cuba Overflights<\/h4>\n<p>If your route passes through the MUFH\/Havana FIR and enters Cuba\u2019s inner ADIZ or overflies the island itself, you will need to <strong>get an overflight permit and pay the associated fees.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For non-US operators, the process is straightforward \u2013 set up a customer number with the Cuban authorities and apply directly, often with same-day turnaround if submitted during business hours. US operators will generally need to use an <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/clarifying-cuba-overflight-permits-and-nav-fees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved permit vendor.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>There are several overwater routes in the northwest corner of Cuban airspace where a <strong>permit is not required:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/clarifying-cuba-overflight-permits-and-nav-fees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-26820 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cuba-Overflight-Airways-1024x715.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cuba-Overflight-Airways-1024x715.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cuba-Overflight-Airways-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cuba-Overflight-Airways-768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cuba-Overflight-Airways-1536x1072.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cuba-Overflight-Airways-2048x1430.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, these still incur <strong>NAV fees<\/strong>, and if you don&#8217;t pay them it can result in your aircraft tail number being blocked from Cuban airspace in the future. NAV fees must be paid to ECNA in Euros, and unpaid fees can build up quietly until you are <strong>denied entry on a later flight.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For more info on Cuba overflights and how to sort all this out, <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/clarifying-cuba-overflight-permits-and-nav-fees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">check our briefing here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Cuba Landings<\/h4>\n<p>Getting approval on the Cuba side of things is usually very straightforward \u2013 secure the landing permit, arrange handling, and off you go.<\/p>\n<p><strong>US BIS 7-day limit:<\/strong> Remember, under the US BIS rules, US-built aircraft operating under the AVS exception are only allowed to stay in Cuba for a max of 7 consecutive days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Landing permit:<\/strong> All flights to Cuba need a landing permit, regardless of the aircraft\u2019s registry or departure point. The Cuban CAA requires at least 3 working days\u2019 notice to process the request.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Handling:<\/strong> You must have a local ground handler in Cuba. The CAA won\u2019t issue a permit without proof of handling support. In the past we&#8217;ve worked with the handling agent <strong>C2C Travel<\/strong> in Cuba, who were extremely helpful with arranging all services. Contact <a href=\"mailto:fabrice@c2ctravel.com\">fabrice@c2ctravel.com.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Local receiving party (\u201csponsor\u201d):<\/strong> Permits are only granted if you list a local contact or business sponsor in Cuba. If you don\u2019t have one, your handler may be able to provide this.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Visas:\u00a0<\/strong>Pax and crew get an e-visa on arrival with the help of a handling agent. Everyone has to\u00a0fill a form online before arrival at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dviajeros.mitrans.gob.cu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this site.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Insurance:<\/strong> Watch out here, as many aviation policies exclude Cuba entirely, leaving flights there uninsured. Even if covered, US underwriting or reinsurance can block payouts due to sanctions. Confirm Cuba is included and sanctions-proof \u2014 and get written confirmation from your broker.<\/p>\n<h4>Cuba-US Flights<\/h4>\n<p>Commercial operators can <strong>depart for Cuba from any US customs-designated airport.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But on the return leg from Cuba, US CBP requires you to <strong>land at the first designated US airport of entry<\/strong> that is nearest to your point of crossing the US border or coastline <em>(in some cases, there&#8217;s some flexibility here where you don&#8217;t actually have to land at the &#8220;first&#8221; airport \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/private-flights-to-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">check our briefing<\/a> for more info.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If you want to land at a different airport instead, you will need a <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/us-border-overflight-exemptions-a-how-to-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Border Overflight Exemption<\/a> in advance.<\/p>\n<p>The current list of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/CFR-2012-title19-vol1\/pdf\/CFR-2012-title19-vol1-sec122-24.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved southern airports of entry<\/a> is published by CBP and includes key gateways in Florida, Texas, and other southern states:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/CFR-2012-title19-vol1\/pdf\/CFR-2012-title19-vol1-sec122-24.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28424\" src=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/US-southern-airports-of-entry-561x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/US-southern-airports-of-entry-561x1024.jpg 561w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/US-southern-airports-of-entry-164x300.jpg 164w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/US-southern-airports-of-entry.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This rule applies to <strong>both US and foreign-registered aircraft<\/strong> arriving from Cuba, and CBP will enforce it strictly, so plan your routing and arrival airport accordingly.<\/p>\n<h4>Been to Cuba?<\/h4>\n<p>Please let us know! You can also reach us directly on <a href=\"mailto:news@ops.group\">news@ops.group<\/a>, or file an <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/spyreport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Airport Spy report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>OPSGROUP members can access the<strong> full Airport Spy database<\/strong> via the members dashboard <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/dashboard\/airport-spy-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/spyreport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23741 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/spy-1024x404.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/spy-1024x404.png 1024w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/spy-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/spy-768x303.png 768w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/spy-1536x606.png 1536w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/spy-2048x807.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Private flights: Technically banned. US BIS requires a license for any US-built aircraft&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":28429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[95,1389],"class_list":{"0":"post-28422","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-briefings","8":"tag-cuba","9":"tag-muha"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28422"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28489,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28422\/revisions\/28489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}