Hola Airlines, Cuba hardly knew ya

I've been wanting to post this since I heard about it on the radio.

Hola Airlines forced to suspend flights to Cuba by US government

(Expansion Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Spanish carrier Hola Airlines has been forced to cancel its flights to Cuba after the US government applied the 1996 Helms-Burton law that restricts commercial operations on the island. The airline, which is owned by Mario Hidalgo, was forced to suspend flights and leave the island after it contacted Boeing to request that the US company repair a plane belonging to its fleet: Boeing said that it was forbidden by the US government to provide technical support or supply components in Cuba, and could only do so once Hola Airlines had left the island. The Spanish airline's entire fleet is entirely composed of Boeing planes.

Over the past year, Spanish companies acquired by US groups have been forced to suspend activities on Cuba. Following its acquisition by Royal Caribbean, Spanish cruise and tour operator Pullmantur was obliged to move the Holiday Dream cruise ship to the Dominican Rebublic and cancel flights operated by Pullmantur Air between Spain and Havana. Meanwhile, Spanish flagship carrier Iberia could find itself in the same situation should Texas Pacific Group succeed in its takeover bid for the airline.

Original article by J.Sanchez Arce

Besides putting a smile on my face this explains why the Cuban government was trying to cover up the Hola logo on the plane that some army deserters tried to hijack to escape the worker's paradise back in May.

Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at July 24, 2007 10:17 PM

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Posted by: Tomas Estrada-Palma at July 25, 2007 12:15 PM

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