Air Canada says it is suspending service to Cuba effective Monday as the Caribbean island’s major airport warns it will run out of jet fuel.
Over the following days, the airline will fly empty planes to pick up approximately 3,000 customers already in Cuba and return them home, Air Canada said Monday in a statement.
Are you considering changing your travel plans to Cuba? We want to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
“Air Canada took the decision following advisories issued by governments (NOTAMs) regarding the unreliability of the aviation fuel supply at Cuban airports,” the statement reads.
“For remaining flights, Air Canada will tanker in extra fuel and make a technical stops as necessary to refuel on the return journey if necessary.”
Air Canada announced that seasonal flights to HolguÃn and Santa Clara are cancelled for the rest of the season, and that flights to Varadero and Cayo Coco are schedule to operate year-round but are currently suspended “with a tentative restart, pending review, on May 1.”
In an official notice called a NOTAM posted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website Sunday, Havana’s José Martà International Airport warns “Jet A1 fuel not available” as of Tuesday, with the warning running until March 11.
A NOTAM, or “notice to airmen,” is an official notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations, according to the FAA. The NOTAM for the Havana airport is classified as “international,” meaning it is meant to be viewed by multiple countries.
WATCH | What to know about the Cuba travel advisory:
Canada has issued a travel advisory for Cuba. Here’s what you need to know | Hanomansing Tonight
The federal government has upgraded its travel advice for Cuba, warning Canadians planning a vacation to the island of worsening shortages of fuel and food. McKenzie MacMillan, a managing partner at The Travel Group, says he wasn’t surprised to hear about the alert.
This comes days after Canada’s federal government issued a travel advisory for Cuba, warning that an ongoing shortage of fuel could affect resorts and flights.
Cuba has historically relied on Venezuela to provide much of its jet fuel, as Reuters points out, but the Caribbean island country has not received any crude or refined products from its top ally since mid-December, when the U.S. moved to block the South American country’s exports.
The NOTAM not only suggests that the U.S. is attempting to cut off energy and fuel from reaching Cuba, but that the U.S. is also trying to isolate Cuba from the rest of the world, Tamanisha John, an assistant politics professor at York University who studies Caribbean development, told CBC News.
“It is no secret that Cuba relies on humanitarian aid and tourism, which reach the country predominantly by airplanes,” John said.
Airlines offer options
By Monday, Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Sunwing all announced flexible rebooking or cancellation options. Air Canada said in its news release that any customers with affected flights will automatically receive a full refund.
WestJet, in its notice, cited “power outage” as the reason for its advisory for all flights to and from Cuba from Sunday to Feb. 26, 2026.
In a statement to CBC News, WestJet, which owns Sunwing, said its focus is on the safety of its guests.
“It is also important to note that all WestJet flights arrive in Cuba with sufficient fuel to safely depart Cuba,” the airline added.
A view of an entrance of the José Martà International Airport in Havana on Sept. 25, 2019. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)
In addition, Transat noted that several resorts in Cuba had been shut down temporarily “due to low occupancy rates,” and is allowing affected customers to change the date, hotel, or destination of their trip without penalty.
“Air Transat, like other carriers, has been notified by Cuban authorities of a temporary suspension of kerosene refuelling at the country’s airports,” the airline wrote in a notice Monday morning.
However, it added, the airline still plans to operate flights as scheduled.
Trips cancelled
Kim Darby of Burlington, Ont., told CBC News Air Canada cancelled his upcoming flight to Cayo Santa Maria. It would have been his seventh trip to Cuba, where Darby enjoys fishing for bonefish on the flats.
“The beaches are great, and the people are great. I don’t need fancy food,” Darby, 71, told CBC News.
Darby says he booked his two-week trip on Dec. 23. He and his wife were meant to leave March 27. On Thursday, Air Canada Vacations sent Darby an email that their flight was cancelled, without providing a specific reason.
CBC News has viewed the email. In travel forums, other Air Canada customers have said the company cancelled their Cuba trips, too.
Kim Darby of Burlington, Ont., shows off a bonefish in Cayo Coco, Cuba, on April 24, 2019. (Kim Darby)
Darby says they rebooked their vacation in Negril, Jamaica, without penalty, although they have to pay the difference, since Negril is more expensive.
“There’s virtually no fishing there, but we’ll have a nice relaxing two weeks,” he said.
While Darby and his wife were disappointed about their Santa Maria trip, he added they also didn’t want Cuba prioritizing its limited resources for resorts.
“If there are fuel shortages and food, it should go to the people. Tourists can go elsewhere.”
But John, the Caribbean development expert, said the Cuban government is very efficient at rationing and utilizing the supplies that it does have, and added she doesn’t think Canadians should avoid travelling there.
“Canadians traveling to Cuba might find themselves staying in better accommodations as the Cuban government prioritizes keeping its best tourist facilities operational,” she said.
And she noted that planes can still refuel at other airports in the Caribbean. Air France, for instance, told AFP News it would be making other stops in the Caribbean to refuel.
An old American car drives along a quiet avenue in Havana on Sunday. (Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images)