CZECHOSLOVAKIA ESTABLISHES PRAGUE-HAVANA AIR SERVICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T01003A001100320001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 4, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 18, 1961
• Content Type: BRIEF

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CIA/RR-CB-61-65
S-E-C-R-E-T Copy No.- 28
NOFORN 28 December 1961
CURRENT SUPPORT BRIEF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA ESTABLISHES PRAGUE-HAVANA AIR SERVICE
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This report represents the immediate views of the
originating intelligence components of the Office
of Research and Reports. Comments are solicited.
W-A-R-N-I-N-G
This document contains information affecting the national defense of
the United States, within the meaning of the espionage laws, Title 18
USC, Sections 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which
in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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NOFORN
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NOFORN
The United Kingdom has recently decided to accede toCzecho--
slovakia's request for overflight privileges and technicalilanding
rights at either Manchester or Prestwick, 1/ opening the way for a
Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA) route from Prague to Havana by way of
the.United Kingdom, Eire, and Canada. CSA has had Prague-Havana
?--hts since December 1960, when Czechoslovakia signed a civil air
agreement with Cuba. Although-Cuba inaugurated air service to Prague
via the Azores in February 1961, 2/ Czechoslovakia has had major
difficulties in establishing its route.
Initially, CSA intended to provide air service on.one of two
routes, either by way of Morocco and the Azores or Eire and Canada. 3/
Both routes, however, included Bermuda. These plans were, in part,
frustrated by the unwillingness of the United States to grant transit
privileges at Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda. Unable to acquire
these privileges at Bermuda, which are vital to the operation of a
southern route, Ciecchoslcvakia;?.turned to the alternative northern ana'i
route and arranged for technical landing rights at points within the
range of their aircraft,
In March 1961, after some delay, Canada notified Czechoslovakia
that its request for technical stops at Gander would be approved. 4/
Canada also has approved a.Cuban request for technical stops at
Gander, with Halifax or Sydney as alternates. 5/ Eire, which had
been delaying approval of Czechoslovakia's request for technical or
transit rights pending the United Kingdom decision, will in all prob-
ability accede to the request. 6/
The U'e:K., long successful in delaying a reply to Czechoslovaki4's
request for civil, air rights in the United Kingdom, reached the limit
of its stalling tactics when Czechoslovakia informally complained to
the President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
about the delay they were experiencing with some countries in obtain-
ing overflight and technical landing privileges. 7/ Czechoslovakia
pointed out that under the terms of the Air Servi-ces Transit Agreement,
these privileges should be granted simply on request. Faced with the
prospect of being formally accused of not honoring its treaty obliga-
tions, the United Kingdom advised Czechoslovakia recently that "in
principle" its request would be granted, 8/
Both Canada and Eire argue that the issue is primarily one of
honoring their international commitments. They claim, furthermore,
that should Czechoslovakia be denied transit rights, traffic between
Prague and Havana would not be stopped but would be diverted to other
carriers, 9/ such as the Compania.Cubana de Aviacion, S.A. (Cubana),
which now operates a twice weekly air service.between Havana and
Prague.
C.ubana has also been prevented from stopping at Bermuda, and
since October Cubana flights eastward to Prague, formerly scheduled
through Bermuda and the Azores, have been routed on an experimental
basis via Canada and the U.K. or Belgium, returning to Havana via
the Azores, 10/ Cuban Bristol Britannia equipment is used and the
aircraft are piloted by Cubans. However, several members of the
crew, including navigators, are always Czechoslovaks. Thus, CSA
personnel are obtaining experience in operating the route, even
though the aircraft are at present flying under the auspices of
Cuba. 11/
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Both, Czechoslovakia and Cuba have a shortage of transatlantic
equipment, With a total inventory of about eight high-performance
aircraft, Czechoslovakia operates three long routes to the Near and
.Far East, and to Africa, in addition to its European services.
Following the crash of two I1-18 aircraft last spring and summer,
CSA had to replace 11-18 turboprop service with 11-14 piston-engined
service on at least one European international route and had to make
some adjustments in its domestic turboprop service. 12/ Recently,
CSA announced a tentative schedule of a weekly round-trip flight to
Havana using a Britannia aircraft. 13/ However, inauguration of the
Prague-Havana route by CSA and the frequency of service will depend
on the rapidity with which CSA obtains more long-range aircraft. To
assist Czechoslovakia in making up for the shortage of equipment,
Cuba.has leased at least one Britannia aircraft to CSA under an agree-
ment that permits the Czechoslovakians to operate the aircraft on
any route desired by CSA. 14/ A Britannia has been used by CSA on
at least one trip from Prague to Mali. Moreover, if present plans
for equipment acquisition and adjustment are fulfilled, Cubana in-
tends to turn at least one additional aircraft over to.CSA, 15/
Cubana has a fleet of from 25 to 30 British and US manufactured
aircraft of which four are Britannias (including the one on loan to
CSA), at least one Super G Constellation, and two Viscounts in flyable
condition and a number of passenger and cargo C-46, DC-3 and DC-4
aircraft in various stages of repair. 16/ Cuba is planning to sell
the US-built aircraft and replace them with long-range Britannia
transports and Soviet I1-14 aircraft because of the spare parts
inventory problem. All of the 12 I1-14 aircraft on-order have al-
ready arrived in Cuba. 17/ In addition, the,Israeli airline, El Al,
reportedly has agreed to sell Cubana four Britannia aircraft, with
ten spare engines and a considerable quantity of spare parts, It is
one of these aircraft that Cubana plans to turn over to CSA, if the
sale is successfully negotiated. Two others will be converted to
cargo transports, and the remaining one will be used as a passenger
aircraft, 18/
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Analyst:
State
London.
Incoming No. 1836, 3 Nov
61. S.
State
London.
Incoming A664, 22 Nov 61.
S.
State,
Havana.
Dsp 1278, 6 Dec 60. OFF
USE.
Sftat ,j; .Pdr ,s/U RO . Polto _G 1:568, 6 r4pt ,61. C.
3. State, CA-6139, 19 Jan 61. C.
4. State, Ottawa. Incoming No. 676, 15 Mar 61. C.
State, Paris/USRO. Polto A 2029 24 Aug 61. C.
5. State, Ottawa. Incoming No. 401, 12 Oct 61. S.
6. State, Dublin. Incoming No. 32, 12 Aug 61. C.
7. State, London. Incoming No. 1766, 30 Oct 61. S.
8. State, London. A 664, 22 Nov 61, S.
State, Paris/USRO. Polto A Circ. 82, 23 Nov 61. C.
9. State, CW 1676, 23 Aug 61. C.
State, Ottawa. A-35, 1 Aug 61. C.
10. State, Dublin. Dsp No. 54, 31 Aug 61. C.
12. ABC Guide, Jun-Sep 61. U.
13. State, Prague. A-103, 24 Nov 61. S.
14.
15.
16.
28 December 1961 CIA/RR-CB-61-65
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