Fuel Crisis Hits Cuban Skies: Air Canada Suspends Flights Amid U.S. Fuel Blockade

Air Canada announced on Monday the suspension of flights to Cuba, highlighting a growing concern over aviation fuel shortages as the U.S. enhances its pressure on Cuba's oil supply.

Canada's leading airline issued a statement emphasizing the commercial unavailability of aviation fuel at Cuban airports starting Tuesday, following government alerts of unreliable supply chains. The forecast shortfall is anticipated to stretch from February 10 to March 11, as per a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) communicated late Sunday. This development follows Cuban assurances that fuel rationing initiated last Friday would initially spare air travel from disruptions.

Historically reliant on Venezuelan oil, Cuba has seen no receipt of crude or refined oil products since mid-December. This hiatus results from U.S. actions to curb Venezuela's oil exports and vows from President Donald Trump to cease Cuba’s oil intake from Venezuela, including potential tariffs on third-party countries supplying fuel to the island.

Previous shortages have seen airlines initiating contingency measures, which Air Canada now echoes by planning aircraft dispatches to retrieve roughly 3,000 passengers stranded in Cuba. Plans include transporting additional fuel and undertaking refueling stops homeward bound. Similar strategies have led carriers to refuel in neighboring countries like Panama, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and the U.S.

Notably, most flights destined for Havana maintained timeliness and regularity on Monday morning, with early departures, such as a COPA flight to Panama, proceeding as scheduled, as corroborated by airport sources to Reuters.