In the late forties and throughout the fifties, Cuba's booming economy, fueled by the sugar industry and tourism, gave rise to a thriving commercial aviation, which produced many very competent Cuban pilots and aviation technicians. In the late thirties and during Until World War II, most domestic routes in Cuba were flown using Ford TriMotors, some single engine aircraft and later Lockheed 10 Electras. The end of World War Two flooded the world market with cheap and low time second hand aircraft such as the Douglas C-47, the Curtiss C-46 and the Douglas C-54, converted into civilian aircraft. Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A.known as Cubana, introduced the Douglas DC-3, the civilian version of the C-47 in 1944, and the larger C-46 in 1946. In 1948, Cubana launched transatlantic routes to from Havana to Madrid, Spain in its Douglas DC-4, the civilian version of the long range military C-54, which had an endurance of 12 to 14 hours.
In 1948, Cubans began its first transatlantic routes when it operated Havana-Madrid routes with DC-4 aircraft. In 1950 it extended the Madrid flights to Rome, also in the DC-4. In 1954, it acquired Lockeed L-049 Constellations, and in 1956, some Super Constellations which replaced the DC-4s on the New Yhork, Mexico, Madrid and Rome flights. In 1956, it introduced the Vickers Viscount, the first turboprops, followed by the Bristol Britania in 1958.
Aerovías Q S.A. which was founded in 1945, also operated DC-3s, C-46s and DC-4 on both domestic and international routes.
Expreso Aéreo Interamericano, an all cargo airline, operated some Custiss C-46 as well, as of 1948.
There were also some other short lived Cuban airlines which existed in the fournies and fifties
Source : Ruben Urribarres
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