Question about Cubana routing

[yvesg]

I went to SNU (Santa Clara, CU) from CYUL last week on Cubana Airlines and did follow the flight on Foreflight. I was surprised that the IFR clearance would not take the most efficient route and with least risk of convection weather. I compared with the other airlines and they all go almost direct with a good part over the atlantic south of Washington. I checked on flightaware last few months flights and Cubana is almost always over land far from the Washington restricted area.

Here are some of the routings I compared:

CUBANA:
CYUL FAWNS BUGSY SYR J59 PSB Q71 EMNEM Q103 RICCS PSK J53 SPA J85 TWINS J85 TAY J119 PIE J41 RSW MTH G448 TADPO SILGO1 SNU


AIR TRANSAT:
CYUL FAWNS BUGSY ALB J37 ATHOS J37 LLUND J37 JFK J79 SBY J209 ORF J174 DIW AR24 ZFP TANIA SILGO1 SNU

Does anyone knows why they do this? Is this because they don't want Cuban aircraft near Washington?

Yves

[Panama Jack]

§91.713 Operation of civil aircraft of Cuban registry.
No person may operate a civil aircraft of Cuban registry except in controlled airspace and in accordance with air traffic clearance or air traffic control instructions that may require use of specific airways or routes and landings at specific airports.

[Vern]

I don't think any of the Cubana A320's they fly to Canada are Cuban registered though. The last one I was on was registered in Lithuania and a few years before that it was an Irish one.

[yvesg]

The aircrafts were leased ones ... probably considered as Cuban registered....The wording states that they can tell them on the routing. My question is "why do they force them there?"

Yves

[J31]

Different aircraft, different flight planning software, different company policies, different cruising altitudes, etc.

And there may be mandated routing from the cold era........

[Inverted2]

I remember hearing stories from back in the day they had to fly east out over the maritimes then south over the Atlantic because they weren't allowed to fly over 'Murica.

[yvesg]

Thanks for the explanations. If I would have known about this beforehand, I would probably have chosen another airline. We were pretty well tossed like in a washing machine when crossing a line of storms in Florida. I guess the other airlines have more route options against bad weather.

Yves

[yycflyguy]

§91.713 Operation of civil aircraft of Cuban registry.
No person may operate a civil aircraft of Cuban registry except in controlled airspace and in accordance with air traffic clearance or air traffic control instructions that may require use of specific airways or routes and landings at specific airports.

Why does part 91 apply to a part 121 op?

As mentioned, Cubana aircraft are registered everywhere BUT Cuba.

Thanks for the explanations. If I would have known about this beforehand, I would probably have chosen another airline. We were pretty well tossed like in a washing machine when crossing a line of storms in Florida. I guess the other airlines have more route options against bad weather.

Yves

You are just as likely to find CBs over the Atlantic Routes (AR) as over Florida.

[redlaser]

Requesting higher or lower altitudes from ATC usually avoids CAT, If you had a bumpy ride its because the pilot wanted you to get your money's worth,

[yvesg]

For both days we flew (YUL - SNU and SNU -YUL) I compaired the routes we had with the ones Air Transat and Sunwings (those aircrafts were on the tarmak at SNU when we arrived) had and they did not cross any bad weather like we did. I checked on Flightaware. We were in clouds at FL380 (or around that) and got thumbled around like in a washing machine.

Since no one here had a definite answer I contacted a friend who is ATC at YUL and he confirmed: The Americans do not want Cubana Airlines near Washington... and same thing for China airlines.

So I have my answer... and... wife and friends don't want to use Cubana again.

Yves

[yycflyguy]

Requesting higher or lower altitudes from ATC usually avoids CAT, If you had a bumpy ride its because the pilot wanted you to get your money's worth,

Ummm, what? We are talking about convective activity. Not CAT. No pilot wants to subject passengers to any turbulence.

Please, tell me more.