Cubana de Aviación Slashes Madrid Route to Just One Weekly Flight

Cuba’s fuel crisis continues to devastate the aviation sector. Cubana de Aviación, the country’s flag carrier, has announced it will reduce its Madrid-Cuba route to just one weekly flight for the summer 2026 season, according to travel agency Cuba Tulike.

One Flight Per Week: The New Schedule

The stripped-down operation includes:

• Outbound (Tuesdays): Flight CU471 — Madrid (1:30 PM) → Santiago de Cuba (5:00 PM) → Havana (8:20 PM)
• Return (Thursdays): Flight CU470 — Havana (8:20 AM) → Santiago de Cuba → Madrid (11:35 AM departure from Santiago)

For the thousands of Cubans living in Spain — one of the largest diaspora communities in Europe — this means fewer options and greater uncertainty when trying to visit family on the island.

No Fuel Until March

Cubana’s decision doesn’t exist in isolation. On February 11, Cuban aviation authorities issued a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) confirming that no Jet A1 fuel will be available at any Cuban airport until at least March 11, 2026.

This affects Havana, Varadero, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba — the country’s main international entry points.

European Airlines Improvise to Keep Flying

Spanish and international carriers maintaining Cuba routes have resorted to creative workarounds:

• Iberia and Air Europa make technical stops in Santo Domingo to refuel on return flights
• Air France stops in Nassau, Bahamas
• World 2 Fly also refuels in the Dominican Republic
• Copa Airlines carries extra fuel from Panama (tankering)

These diversions add hours of travel time and significant operational costs.

The Toll on Spanish Businesses

According to a report by EFE via Infobae, the situation has deteriorated dramatically since Nicolás Maduro’s capture on January 3 and the subsequent oil blockade:

• Hotel occupancy has fallen to just 20%, versus the 70-75% considered healthy
• Meliá closed 3 of its 35 hotels in Cuba
• NH exited its two Havana properties entirely
• Tourism dropped from 4.7 million visitors during the Obama thaw to just 1.8 million in 2025
• About 150 Spanish business owners operate on the island under permanent contingency plans

An Increasingly Isolated Island

With Canada, Russia, and now Cuba’s own national airline drastically cutting operations, the country faces its worst international air connectivity in decades. Only Copa Airlines maintains relatively normal service thanks to its tankering strategy from Panama.

For the Cuban diaspora in Europe, the message is stark: traveling to Cuba in 2026 will be harder, more expensive, and more uncertain than ever before.