Cuba announcing no aviation fuel available

[ha_banos]

https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-02-09-u1-e13-s27061-nid320369-cuba-advierte-aerolineas-24-horas-quedara-combustible

"The NOTAM, identified as A0356/26 and classified as international, explicitly states: “JET A-1 FUEL NOT AVBL” (no Jet A-1 fuel available). The notice has been active since February 10, 2026, at 05:00 UTC and will remain in effect at least until March 11, 2026, at 05:00 UTC, representing a full month without guaranteed supply at the country's main airport."

Starting to see a couple of mentions of this. More details about the impact of routes here. I'm surprised there so many flights from American Airlines.

 

https://www.aviacionline.com/english/commercial-aviation/latin-america-and-caribbean/cuba-aviation-fuel-shortage-could-impact-more-than-400-weekly-scheduled-flights_a69892c881e7e6768e82eadbd

[El Presidente]

Cuba has warned airlines it is suspending jet fuel supplies for a month because of an energy crisis prompted by the US attack on Venezuela, an official at a European carrier said.

Cuba has told carriers serving the island that starting midnight on Monday into Tuesday, they cannot refuel there, the official told AFP on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

Cuba is reeling from a US-ordered halt in oil shipments from Venezuela after American troops abducted Nicolas Maduro.

Planes covering long-distance flights from Cuba will now have to stop somewhere after leaving the island to get more jet fuel, this official quoted Cuban aviation officials as saying.

Air France told AFP its planes would stop somewhere else in the Caribbean to refuel.

The Cuban government on Friday announced emergency measures to address the island's energy crisis, including a four-day work week for state-owned companies and fuel sale restrictions.

The belt-tightening measures include a reduction in bus and train services between provinces and the closure of certain tourist establishments.

School days will also be made shorter, and universities will relax requirements on in-person attendance.

[El Presidente]

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cuban-cia-castro-energy-collapse-9.7078628

"In Cuba," said Buenos Aires-based Cuban lawyer Alain Espinoza of rights group Cubalex, "power has always been divided between those who show their faces, such as Díaz-Canel and the Council of State, and those who control the Cuban economy behind the curtain, such as Alejandro Castro Espín — and behind him large economic concerns, including the military-owned holding company GAESA, who are the ones who control all the money and economy of Cuba."

Espinoza said he doesn't believe the regime as a whole would ever agree to leave power, but "we can't rule out the possibility that those who control the Cuban economy might be willing to negotiate an exit that allows them to keep some of the fortune they have amassed, without having to fear legal repercussions or criminal prosecution."

The deal that might emerge from such talks could strongly resemble the deal with Delcy Rodríguez, now Venezuela's acting president, where some elements within the regime turn against others in order to secure better terms for themselves from Washington.

[El Presidente]

 

https://www.winnipegsun.com/news/resorts-in-cuba-temporarily-close-due-to-fuel-shortage/article_7de2499c-4be9-427a-93b7-72b371ccd0fa.html

Airlines offering to rebook guests for free

Air Transat and Air Canada have activated flexible rebooking policies to Cuba as the Caribbean island nation struggles to deal with shortages after the U.S. blocked oil supplies to the country.

Air Transat’s policy applies to customers with travel dates between Feb. 7 and April 30, 2026 at hotels closed in Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Coco, Veradero and Holguin.

The company said travellers may change the date, hotel, or destination without penalty, or the trip may be cancelled at no charge, and a travel credit will be issued.

Air Canada’s policy applies to customers with travel dates between Feb. 6 and Feb. 25, 2026, for flights to or from Cayo Coco, Holguin, Santa Clara and Varadero, allowing them to change their flight, free of charge, to another Air Canada destination, subject to availability in the cabin originally purchased. It said a fare difference may apply.

The airline said those who choose to cancel their booking can either choose to receive a credit to their AC Wallet or convert the value of their ticket to a future travel credit.

It also said those who purchased a ticket with Air Canada Vacations should reach out to the airline’s tour operator directly.

WestJet Airlines Ltd. and Sunwing Vacations said they are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to follow the direction of the Canadian government.

Travel advisory for Cuba

Last week, Global Affairs Canada changed its travel guidance on Cuba to “exercise a high degree of caution,” citing the energy crisis and shortages of basic goods.

In early January, Washington effectively cut off fuel shipments to Cuba from its top ally Venezuela. U.S. President Donald Trump has since threatened to slap tariffs on nations that send oil to the island.

[MrBirdman]

Gotta keep enough on hand for that new private jet to make it all the way to Russia! 

[NYGuido]

Wow. This just is going to keep getting worse for the island, it seems. They’ll pull it together for the Habanos festival, but man, this is looking bleak. 

[JohnnyO]

This does not apply to American/Delta/United/Southwest as by US law they can't re-fuel or take on any supplies in Cuba. John

[M777]

1 hour ago, NYGuido said:

Wow. This just is going to keep getting worse for the island, it seems. They’ll pull it together for the Habanos festival, but man, this is looking bleak. 

I fully agree that it looks bleak. Also, don’t most of the attendees that go to Habanos festivals arrive from places mostly outside of North and South America? 

Imho, if I were even thinking of attending this year, I would skip it. The Cuban people need every ounce of resources on the island right now, more than any potential guest does.  

[LizardGizmo]

Air Canada is suspending all flights and is sending empty planes down to pick up 3,000 passengers on the island.

https://apnews.com/article/air-canada-cuba-fuel-shortage-e2bc06083e099c9d45f6357adee451cc

[ha_banos]

I wonder if Kirby is trying to get all the cigar masters together at the festival? That would be epic for him. He must be calling everyone. Is it worth him going if alone? Can he get his production crew over? Has he been begging Gem, Eds, Usm, Stanley Ipkiss, Habibi (AG). It would make for smashing content for him. He must be having kittens - that's what posh English folk do when they panic.

[JohnnyO]

1 hour ago, LizardGizmo said:

Air Canada is suspending all flights and is sending empty planes down to pick up 3,000 passengers on the island.

https://apnews.com/article/air-canada-cuba-fuel-shortage-e2bc06083e099c9d45f6357adee451cc

Air Canada and WestJet said they are going down empty and not refueling in Cuba. Air France has said they will re-fuel in the Caribbean. John

[LizardGizmo]

Cuban gov't is now denying the fuel shortage.

https://www.periodicocubano.com/cuba-niega-la-escasez-de-combustible-de-avion-los-vuelos-a-la-habana-siguen/

NOTAM remains active:

[chris12381]

Air Europa just announced it will add a technical fuel stop in Santo Domingo, DR.

In a past life, I managed two airports for 16 years, and one of my responsibilities was filing NOTAMs. A 2–4 week NOTAM is what you issue when a problem is open-ended, when there is no near-term solution. Think equipment you can’t immediately repair because of parts availability, certification issues, or supply constraints.

In Cuba, Empresa Cubana de Aeropuertos y Servicios Aeronáuticos (ECASA) operates and manages the airports. The Instituto de Aeronáutica Civil de Cuba (IACC) oversees regulation, safety, and policy.

ECASA spoke to the only audience that matters for aviation safety, airlines and dispatchers, by filing NOTAMs stating “JET A-1 NOT AVBL.” That is a hard, technical admission.

IACC, meanwhile, is speaking to a different audience, the domestic public and international media, attempting to manage panic, optics, and diplomatic fallout by dismissing discussion as “rumors.”

This is a split between operational reality and political messaging.

[Marco_011t556]

The situation is only getting worse. It seems that only important government authority is in work. I guess the festival is going to get held up.😩

[JohnnyO]

Russia has told their people to get out. Do they know something we don't?

[Salomones]

Cubana cancelled flights from Germany until March.

[JPark3]

3 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Russia has told their people to get out. Do they know something we don't?

I hope you're doing ok, brother.

[JohnnyO]

Drum roll please...gasoline on the streets has reached 2000cup/liter in Havana. The CUP finally hit 500:$1. So gasoline is $4/liter or $15.12/gallon. Those old cars are going to be parked for a while, don't know what the situation is for authorized taxis at the airports. The gas station on 33 Ave and 42 St (Playa) is still selling gasoline at $1.30/liter and there are no lines now. Only rental cars, embassy, and "technico extranjero" cars (foreign investors that have a business in Cuba) are authorized to buy there. No more for the locals, police are there to enforce the rules. This is accelerating faster than I thought. BTW, my favorite hole in the wall restaurant (Pizza Nella) has a 3 fuel generator and is running it on natural gas that gets piped in from the streets. They will always have power and 80 cent 1/2 liter Crystals, for those of you that might be visiting. John

[BrightonCorgi]

Perhaps Rubio's strategy is more powerful than thought by many here?  

[El Presidente]

8 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Perhaps Rubio's strategy is more powerful than thought by many here?  

Speaking yesterday to Jose, he was certainly powerfully hungry. 

 

[El Presidente]

13 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Drum roll please...gasoline on the streets has reached 2000cup/liter in Havana. The CUP finally hit 500:$1. So gasoline is $4/liter or $15.12/gallon. Those old cars are going to be parked for a while, don't know what the situation is for authorized taxis at the airports. The gas station on 33 Ave and 42 St (Playa) is still selling gasoline at $1.30/liter and there are no lines now. Only rental cars, embassy, and "technico extranjero" cars (foreign investors that have a business in Cuba) are authorized to buy there. No more for the locals, police are there to enforce the rules. This is accelerating faster than I thought. BTW, my favorite hole in the wall restaurant (Pizza Nella) has a 3 fuel generator and is running it on natural gas that gets piped in from the streets. They will always have power and 80 cent 1/2 liter Crystals, for those of you that might be visiting. John

[ha_banos]

There's a few folk worried if they'll get a festival refund if it's cancelled over on MuchoGram.

[MC4]

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-willing-help-cuba-amid-jet-fuel-shortage-foreign-ministry-says-2026-02-10/

 

[El Presidente]

2 minutes ago, ha_banos said:

Theres a few folk worried if they'll get a festival refund if its cancelled over on MuchoGram.

Rumour was they discussed cancelling it last week but had no solution to the mechanics of refunding tickets. 

[chris12381]

WestJet, AirTransat and Sunwing announced a wind-down of their services to Cuba beginning today (February 10th). Similar to Air Canada, they will ferry empty aircraft to Cuba and bring home passengers already on the island. The aircraft will carry enough fuel to leave Cuba and return to Canada. 

https://financialpost.com/transportation/airlines/westjet-sunwing-air-canada-suspending-service-cuba