On 6 December 1954, the first Viscount was delivered to Canada in a large media event which included an improvised aerial display. TCA became a prolific operator of the type, placing multiple follow-up orders for additional Viscounts. By 1958 TCA had an operational fleet of 51 Viscounts. Aviation author Peter Pigott later wrote that: "For TCA and Vickers, the Viscount was a public relations coup. Passengers loved the quiet ride and panoramic windows. No other airline in North America flew turbo-prop airliners then, and no other British aircraft was bought by American airlines in such quantity." TCA operated the Viscount for two decades until Air Canada (TCA relabelled with a name equally at home in English and French), ended Viscount services in 1974. The type was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas DC-9."Routine Flight" (1955) featured the TCA introduction of the Viscount in this National Film Board of Canada documentary. TCA's procurement of the Viscount generated considerable interest from airlines and industry figures across the United States, including American aviation pioneer Howard Hughes; Hughes purchased 15 Viscounts immediately after personally flying one. US Capital Airlines became an important operator of the Type 700 Viscount, using it heavily throughout the eastern US routes; it was reported in 1958 that Capital had accumulated over 350,000 flight hours on its Viscounts, more than any other operator. Continental Airlines and Northeast Airlines also became US Viscount operators. The first airline in Latin America to operate the Viscount was Cubana de Aviación. Cubana's −755D Viscounts, delivered in 1956, were placed on the Havana-Miami and Varadero-Miami routes, and were successful at raising Cubana's market share on these routes. During the 1958 Cuban elections, a Cubana Viscount was hijacked by gunmen aligned with the 26th of July Movement; the aircraft crash-landed in the sea, reportedly killing 17 of the 20 occupants. When the US government imposed its embargo on Cuba in 1962, Cubana decided to sell all of its Viscounts. They were replaced by Soviet-built turboprop aircraft. South African Airways (SAA) was another major operator of the Viscount; by January 1959 it was operating on all of SAA's domestic routes. In 1961, SAA had seven Viscounts, and acquired a further aircraft from Cuba in the following year.