Cuba Runs Out of Aviation Fuel: Air Canada Suspends Flights Until May

Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis has reached a critical new point: the government informed international airlines that there is no aviation fuel available at the country’s ten main airports.

Air Canada Halts Operations

The most drastic response came from Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, which announced a complete suspension of flights until May 1st. The company will organize an operation to repatriate approximately 3,000 customers stranded on the island.

Business sources cited by El País estimate the number of affected people at 21,000 between tourists and residents, representing “more than 50% of the tourism on the island right now.”

Spanish Airlines Seek Alternatives

Iberia and Air Europa have decided to make technical stops in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) to refuel, avoiding dependence on Cuban supplies. Iberia is also offering customers date changes, vouchers, or refunds.

Tourism Impact

Cuban tourism was already in freefall:

• 2018: 5 million visitors (all-time high)
• 2025: 1.8 million tourists (-64% in seven years)
• January-September 2025: 1.37 million (-20.5% year-over-year)

Spanish chains Meliá (34 hotels) and Iberostar (20 hotels) face extremely difficult conditions. Meliá has temporarily closed three hotels and reports 40.2% occupancy versus its global average of 62.3%.

Political Context

The crisis deepened after U.S. tariff threats against countries supplying oil to Cuba. Mexico suspended shipments and Venezuela stopped being a supplier after January events.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel has expressed willingness to dialogue with the United States and announced a contingency plan similar to the “Special Period” of the 1990s.

Russia has indicated it will seek ways to help its ally, though without concrete details. There are currently about 4,000 Russian tourists on the island.

This is a developing situation. We will update as new information emerges.