Jet fuel shortage in Cuba causes flight cancellations and pressure on tourism and small businesses
Cuba has entered a new phase of the energy crisis, which this time has directly spilled over into international air traffic: aviation authorities on the island have informed carriers that Jet A-1 fuel for refueling will not be available at several Cuban airports, leading some airlines to temporarily suspend routes, while others are introducing technical stops in third countries to safely complete return flights. According to information reported by international media, the restrictions relate to a period starting on February 10, 2026, and notices and reports mention the date of March 11, 2026, as the timeframe for how long the disruptions could last.
For passengers, this means schedule changes, longer journeys, and a higher risk of short-notice cancellations. For the Cuban economy, which relies on the influx of foreign currency from tourism, aviation restrictions carry even broader weight: every reduction in arrivals hits hotel revenues, private accommodations, restaurants, transportation, and a whole range of small services that depend on the season. Additionally, the crisis opens the question of regional logistics in the Caribbean: which countries and airports can serve as "safety valves" for refueling, and what such a role means in the politically sensitive environment of relations with Havana and Washington.
From notices to airlines to cancellations: how the crisis escalated
According to reports from the Associated Press, Cuban aviation authorities warned airlines that there is "not enough fuel available" to supply aircraft in Cuba, as part of a stricter energy rationing regime being introduced nationwide. In the same context, it is stated that the unavailability of refueling applies to nine Cuban airports, including Havana's José Martí, with an announcement that the situation could last until March 11. The Guardian and Financial Times further describe that these are consequences of a deepened energy crisis and disruptions in the supply of petroleum products, with a political factor of increased pressure on supply channels.
In operational terms, the decision on the unavailability of Jet A-1 fuel changes the fundamental assumption of flight planning. Aircraft standardly count on refueling at the destination to pick up passengers and cargo and return to the starting destination. When that option disappears, carriers have several solutions, none of which are simple: they can try to fly in with enough fuel for the return (which increases mass, reduces the possibility of carrying additional cargo or passengers, and is sometimes not feasible due to aircraft performance), they can add a technical landing in another country for refueling, or they can suspend the route until the supply in Cuba is restored. Each option carries a cost and increases the risk of delays, missed connections, and additional burden on passenger services.
Air Canada temporarily suspends regular flights: a signal that echoed through the industry
In the initial reactions, Air Canada's decision stood out the most. According to an announcement reported by ABC News and other media, the Canadian carrier announced a temporary suspension of flights to Cuba on February 10, 2026, after, as it states, the Cuban government announced that fuel would not be available at Cuban airports. Part of the report states that the company also organized special operations to return passengers already on the island home, using empty flights to Cuba and return flights with passengers.
Canada is one of the most important source markets for Cuban tourism, so the symbolic effect of the suspension is strong: when the largest Canadian carrier pulls capacity, agencies, hoteliers, and suppliers react in a chain, and some passengers postpone their trip or redirect it to other destinations in the Caribbean. Additionally, changes happen quickly, often within a few hours, making it difficult to coordinate accommodation, transfers, and passenger rights. Although some short routes to Cuba may be operationally less sensitive to the refueling issue due to short flight times, a large portion of tourist traffic relies on medium and long routes where "arriving with fuel for the return" is not a realistic option without serious compromises.
Technical landings as a temporary solution: Dominican Republic, Bahamas, and Mexico in the front line
While some carriers decided to pause, others took the path of a "crisis bridge" through third countries. According to statements from the travel industry reported by TravelMole, some European carriers continued flying to Havana but planned stops for fuel on the return: Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Nassau in the Bahamas, and Cancún in Mexico are mentioned. Such a model allows for the maintenance of routes, but it carries a price: the journey lasts longer, the schedule changes, and passengers miss connections that were previously "on the edge" even without an additional stop. Additionally, every extra landing means additional fees, higher operational costs, and increased fuel consumption due to an extra takeoff and landing cycle.
At the same time, these solutions show how the regional network quickly adapts. The Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, with already developed tourism infrastructure and a large number of international flights, logically impose themselves as the first stops for refueling. Mexico, as a large market with capacities in Cancún, can also take on part of the burden, especially on routes to Europe or on flights that already rely on a strong infrastructure of mass tourism. However, this is not a solution that can be scaled indefinitely: ramp capacities, fuel availability, slot availability, and ground services have their limits, and companies must balance the cost of additional stops with real demand.
Tourism under pressure: from hotel bookings to private hosts
Cuban tourism has been undergoing oscillations in recent years, influenced by the pandemic, reductions in international flights, market changes, and domestic economic difficulties. The Financial Times highlights in its analyses that tourism is key for foreign currency earnings, but also that the sector faces a decline in visitor numbers and challenges in maintaining infrastructure. The jet fuel shortage further exacerbates this trend because the problem comes at a time when hoteliers and carriers should be relying on a predictable rhythm of arrivals from North America and Europe.
For large hotels, it is possible to "manage the crisis" in the short term by redirecting guests to a smaller number of facilities, reducing energy costs, and centralized distribution of resources. But from the perspective of small entrepreneurs, the shock is more direct. Private accommodations, small restaurants, guides, and taxi drivers live off every new flight. When flights fall through, bookings decrease, and cancellations grow, often without a clear estimate of how long the situation will last. In this dynamic, a small host does not have the "buffer" that a large system might have: losing a few weeks of arrivals can mean losing the entire season, and thus the basic livelihood.
There is also a secondary effect: fuel is not only a problem in aviation. The same energy deficit is reflected in road transport, supply, and the availability of services. According to reports from the AP, the crisis is also linked to reductions, restrictions, and broader austerity measures. This means that entrepreneurs have a harder time getting groceries, logistics become more expensive, and local traffic slower and rarer. A tourist who has to wait for transport or who encounters electricity restrictions experiences the destination differently, and that impression is quickly transmitted to the market through reviews, recommendations, and decisions about the next trip.
Energy and political background: sanctions, supply channels, and regional reactions
Multiple international sources state that the current shortage is linked to interruptions or reductions in deliveries of oil and derivatives, along with the strengthening of American pressure on supply channels. The Associated Press and Financial Times mention the tightening of US policy towards Cuba and measures that make it difficult to import energy, while media reports also mention reactions from certain regional actors criticizing such moves and warning of humanitarian and economic consequences. In such an environment, jet fuel becomes a "critical point" because without it, there is no stable international traffic, and without traffic, one of the few sectors that brings in hard currency weakens.
For Havana, dependence on external energy supply is not a new topic, but it is now more visible because it has spilled over into a sector that is literally the "showcase" of the country: international airports. When passenger traffic is interrupted or becomes more expensive, the consequences are rapid and measurable, and the message to investors and the tourism market is clear: the risk is increasing. In this sense, the crisis with Jet A-1 fuel also becomes a political issue – not just a matter of logistics – as a debate opens about who in the region can, and who wants to, take on the role of supporting air routes to Cuba.
Jamaica and the Cayman Islands as potential "fuel" hubs: logistics, but also diplomacy
In addition to the already mentioned technical stops in the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Mexico, part of the specialized portals in the travel industry has opened the question of whether other Caribbean destinations could take on the role of refueling points – among them Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Such a scenario is based on geography and infrastructure: Montego Bay (Sangster International) is a strong tourist hub with developed ground handling and refueling services, and publicly available information from global airport service providers indicates that jet fuel supply is part of the standard offering. The Cayman Islands, meanwhile, have the Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town, managed by the relevant aviation institution, which is an important point for regional traffic and business aviation.
However, a "fuel hub" is not just a technical question of Jet A-1 availability. If a significant portion of traffic to Cuba were redirected to stops in Jamaica or the Caymans, it would also open a political layer: how to align the commercial needs of airlines with regional relations and US policy towards Cuba. In practice, airports and fuel suppliers operate within national regulations, contracts, and international standards, but geopolitical risk in the Caribbean often enters business assessments through insurance prices, supply stability, and the predictability of the regulatory environment.
For Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, every additional landing means additional income – from airport fees to handling services – but it also means greater pressure on capacities and greater exposure to a sensitive topic. In this sense, the question of refueling hubs becomes an indicator of how Caribbean states position themselves between their own economic interests, regional solidarity, and relations with the US, while Cuban tourism in the background tries to maintain at least a part of the arrivals in a season that should bring it the most revenue.
Deadline until March 11 and uncertainty after that
In the public space, a timeframe until March 11, 2026, is mentioned, appearing in media reports and information circulating in the aviation sector. But the industry knows that deadlines in such crises often depend on the actual restoration of supply, not the date in a notice. If imports do not stabilize or if suppliers assess the risk as too high, the period of disruption may be extended, and airlines will then choose between long-term technical landings and major cuts in the network.
Passengers in the coming weeks could witness a "mixed" scenario: some flights returning with technical stops, some remaining suspended, and some reorganized through shorter routes and seasonal adjustments. For tourism, this means that recovery is possible, but under more expensive conditions, while some demand may spill over to competing destinations. This is precisely why the state of air traffic has become a litmus test for the broader Cuban crisis: it shows how quickly an energy problem can become a problem of international connectivity and income.
What is happening on the ground: austerity measures and memories of the "Special Period"
The Associated Press states that the jet fuel shortage fits into broader measures of rationalization and reductions in the energy system, with effects on transport and public services. In such circumstances, some citizens compare the situation to the "Special Period" of the 1990s, when after the collapse of Soviet support, drastic shortages and long-term economic stagnation occurred. Although today's circumstances are different, the psychological effect of such comparisons further burdens the expectations of citizens and entrepreneurs: when the feeling arises that basic services are in question, even short-term disruptions gain the weight of a long-term threat.
In tourism, the mood is often measured through two things: travel safety and the impression of the destination's functionality. When passengers hear that airlines are canceling flights due to fuel, fear spreads to other aspects of the journey, even when hotels and beaches are "fine". That is why the crisis with Jet A-1 fuel is more than a technical problem: it becomes a story about the state's reliability to maintain basic strategic services in a period when tourism is one of its key sources of income.
Possible scenarios: supply stabilization or longer-term flight cuts
In the coming weeks, two questions will be key: will the supply of oil and derivatives be restored to the extent that airports can again be regularly supplied with Jet A-1 fuel, and will political pressures on supply channels ease or intensify. If stabilization occurs, some flights could return relatively quickly, albeit with caution and a gradual increase in capacity. If the crisis is prolonged, permanent cuts on routes that are expensive to maintain are more likely, and passenger flows will redirect to other Caribbean destinations that offer more stable logistics.
For Cuban small business owners, the worst-case scenario is not just a temporary drop in arrivals, but the loss of predictability. The tourist season is planned months in advance, and when the rhythm of flights is broken, the entire chain – from accommodation to procurement – must improvise. In such an environment, part of the business shuts down, and part shifts to survival with minimal income, while waiting for normalization becomes the most expensive strategy. The outcome will therefore depend on whether supply channels reopen and whether international traffic to Cuba returns to a level that gives the tourism sector a chance to save the season.
Sources:- Associated Press – notice from Cuban aviation authorities on the unavailability of jet fuel, restriction period, and broader effects on energy and public services (link)
- Financial Times – analysis of the causes of the shortage, supply channels, and economic context of tourism (link)
- ABC News (wire) – information on Air Canada's decision and the explanation related to fuel unavailability (link)
- The Guardian – overview of consequences for passengers, reports on expected duration of disruptions, and broader political framework (link)
- TravelMole – examples of technical landings for fuel (Santo Domingo, Nassau, Cancún) (link)
- AirHelp – timeline of disruptions and description of operational consequences for flights (link)
- Signature Aviation – publicly available data on fuel supply services at Sangster Airport (Montego Bay, Jamaica) (link)
- Cayman Islands Airports Authority – official information on the management of international airports (Owen Roberts International) (link)
- eTurboNews – reports on possible regional refueling points (Jamaica and Cayman Islands) in the context of the Cuban jet fuel shortage (link)
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