Air Canada has abruptly suspended all flight operations to Cuba effective immediately, citing a severe aviation fuel shortage that has crippled the Caribbean nation’s airport infrastructure. The suspension, which began Monday, will affect approximately 16 weekly flights connecting Toronto and Montreal to four Cuban destinations.
The airline confirmed it will repatriate nearly 3,000 stranded Canadian tourists through special recovery flights in the coming days. This operational pause follows an official Notice to Aviation (NOTAM) indicating that commercial aviation fuel will remain unavailable at Cuban airports from Tuesday through at least March 11th.
This crisis stems from Cuba’s heavy reliance on Venezuelan jet fuel exports, which have been severely disrupted since mid-December when the Trump administration blocked Venezuela’s oil shipments. The fuel shortage exacerbates Cuba’s existing energy emergency, where rolling blackouts have left residents without reliable electricity for extended periods.
The situation has intensified amid escalating geopolitical tensions. The Trump administration has recently confiscated sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers destined for Cuba and threatened tariffs against any nation supplying oil to the island. President Trump publicly stated that Cuba ‘will be falling pretty soon’ without Venezuelan support.
While Air Canada monitors the situation for service restoration, competing Canadian carriers WestJet and Air Transat continue operating Cuba flights. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla has denounced the US measures, asserting Cuba’s ‘absolute right to import fuel without interference from unilateral coercive measures.’