Air Canada has grounded its entire Cuba schedule—32 weekly flights serving eight resort gateways—after Cuban airport authorities issued an unprecedented Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) warning that Jet A-1 fuel will be unavailable from 05:00 UTC on February 10 until at least March 11. The Canadian flag-carrier says it will operate a series of ferry flights in the coming days to repatriate roughly 3,000 Canadians currently vacationing on the island. Seasonal services to Holguín and Santa Clara have been cancelled for the remainder of the winter timetable, while year-round routes to Varadero and Cayo Coco are suspended until at least 1 May.
Cuba’s sudden fuel crunch is a knock-on effect of a tightened U.S. embargo that threatens punitive tariffs on third-country suppliers shipping oil to the Caribbean nation. The embargo has choked off imports so quickly that nine international airports—including Havana, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba—cannot guarantee refuelling even for technical stops. Other international carriers such as WestJet, Air Transat, Iberia, Air Europa and Russian and Chinese leisure airlines have announced emergency schedule changes, including tech stops in Jamaica or Mexico and outright cancellations.
For travellers suddenly rerouting to destinations like Mexico, Panama, or the Dominican Republic, VisaHQ can accelerate the visa and travel-document process. The company’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time entry requirement updates, electronic visa applications and courier assistance, ensuring Canadians obtain the correct paperwork quickly when itineraries change at the last minute.
![Air Canada suspends all Cuba flights amid jet-fuel crisis triggered by U.S. oil blockade]()
For Canadian tour operators, the timing could not be worse. February and March are peak sun-season months, and Cuba traditionally ranks as Canadians’ number-one Caribbean destination. Tour wholesalers now face an immediate scramble for alternative lift to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while thousands of package-holiday refunds must be processed under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).
Business-travel planners should note that the fuel shortage applies to all aircraft types and that Cuba’s NOTAM expressly warns carriers not to rely on military or diplomatic exemptions. Companies with operations or client visits in Cuba should route staff through third-country hubs (e.g., Panama City or Mexico City) on airlines capable of tanker-in operations or with guaranteed uplift contracts outside Cuba. Travellers already ticketed on affected flights are entitled to full refunds or free rebooking, but seat availability on alternate routes is increasingly scarce.
The episode also underscores a wider geopolitical risk: extra-territorial U.S. sanctions can disrupt Canadian carriers even on routes that do not touch U.S. soil. Procurement teams may wish to re-examine fuel hedging strategies and force-majeure clauses in corporate travel contracts that cover embargo-related contingencies.
Cuba’s sudden fuel crunch is a knock-on effect of a tightened U.S. embargo that threatens punitive tariffs on third-country suppliers shipping oil to the Caribbean nation. The embargo has choked off imports so quickly that nine international airports—including Havana, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba—cannot guarantee refuelling even for technical stops. Other international carriers such as WestJet, Air Transat, Iberia, Air Europa and Russian and Chinese leisure airlines have announced emergency schedule changes, including tech stops in Jamaica or Mexico and outright cancellations.
For travellers suddenly rerouting to destinations like Mexico, Panama, or the Dominican Republic, VisaHQ can accelerate the visa and travel-document process. The company’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time entry requirement updates, electronic visa applications and courier assistance, ensuring Canadians obtain the correct paperwork quickly when itineraries change at the last minute.
For Canadian tour operators, the timing could not be worse. February and March are peak sun-season months, and Cuba traditionally ranks as Canadians’ number-one Caribbean destination. Tour wholesalers now face an immediate scramble for alternative lift to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while thousands of package-holiday refunds must be processed under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).
Business-travel planners should note that the fuel shortage applies to all aircraft types and that Cuba’s NOTAM expressly warns carriers not to rely on military or diplomatic exemptions. Companies with operations or client visits in Cuba should route staff through third-country hubs (e.g., Panama City or Mexico City) on airlines capable of tanker-in operations or with guaranteed uplift contracts outside Cuba. Travellers already ticketed on affected flights are entitled to full refunds or free rebooking, but seat availability on alternate routes is increasingly scarce.
The episode also underscores a wider geopolitical risk: extra-territorial U.S. sanctions can disrupt Canadian carriers even on routes that do not touch U.S. soil. Procurement teams may wish to re-examine fuel hedging strategies and force-majeure clauses in corporate travel contracts that cover embargo-related contingencies.
