Air Canada Suspends Flights to Cuba Amid Aviation Fuel Shortage
Air Canada will repatriate about 3,000 passengers after Cuba warned jet fuel will be unavailable at airports from Feb. 10 to March 11.
Overview
Air Canada announced it suspended all scheduled flights to Cuba effective Feb. 9 and will operate empty southbound flights over the coming days to repatriate roughly 3,000 customers, company officials said.
Cuba's aviation authority issued a Notice to Air Missions saying Jet A-1 fuel would not be commercially available at Cuban airports from Feb. 10 through March 11, according to a copy of the NOTAM and aviation sources.
The suspension follows a cutoff of shipments from Venezuela since mid-December and Mexico's decision to halt deliveries after U.S. threats of tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, actions President Donald Trump touted in public remarks.
Air Transat and some other carriers said they plan to maintain service by using contingency refuelling stops in the Dominican Republic, Mexico or the Bahamas, while Aeroflot said some Russian tourists will remain and routes may be adjusted, according to airline statements.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla called the U.S. measures "cruel aggression" and Cuba asked for dialogue, while U.S. officials defended pressure on suppliers, marking the crisis by conflicting international accounts.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame coverage as emphasizing U.S. policy responsibility and the humanitarian toll in Cuba. Editorial choices—loaded terms ('blockade', 'deepening energy crisis', 'cripple'), prioritizing Cuban officials, victims and pilot anecdotes while omitting U.S. spokespersons—shape the narrative; quoted source content supplies factual claims and personal testimony rather than the framing itself.
Sources (10)
FAQ
Air Canada is suspending flights due to a shortage of Jet A-1 aviation fuel at Cuban airports, as announced in a Cuban NOTAM stating no commercial availability from February 10 to March 11, stemming from cutoffs in oil shipments from Venezuela and Mexico amid U.S. tariff threats.
Air Canada will operate empty southbound ferry flights over the coming days to pick up approximately 3,000 customers already in Cuba and return them to Canada, prioritizing their safe return home.
Customers with cancelled flights to Cuba from February 9 to May 1, 2026, will automatically receive full refunds in their original payment method, including Aeroplan points and gift cards, processed within 10 business days.
Air Transat has a special flexibility policy allowing changes or refunds, WestJet states it arrives with sufficient fuel to depart safely, while some carriers like Air Transat plan contingency refueling stops in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Bahamas.
Air Canada has suspended flights effective February 9, with seasonal routes to Holguín and Santa Clara cancelled for the rest of the winter season, and year-round flights to Varadero and Cayo Coco tentatively restarting on May 1, pending review.
History
5 sources