All three of Canada’s major leisure airlines—Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet—have suspended passenger service to Cuba after Havana issued an unprecedented Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) warning that Jet A-1 fuel would be unavailable nationwide from 10 February through at least 11 March. The sudden move has left roughly 6,000 Canadian vacationers on the island scrambling for new itineraries and threatens one of Cuba’s most important tourism source markets.
Air Canada was first to act, cancelling 16 weekly rotations to Varadero, Cayo Coco, Holguín and Santa Clara and dispatching empty “ferry” flights loaded with extra fuel to repatriate about 3,000 customers. WestJet and Sunwing quickly followed, announcing an “orderly wind-down” of winter programmes and similar fuel-tanking strategies. Air Transat has halted all Cuba operations until at least 30 April, promising automatic refunds for trips not yet commenced.
The crisis stems from a tightening U.S. oil blockade that has choked off Venezuelan and, more recently, Mexican crude supplies to Cuba. Aviation Week data show Canadian carriers normally supply more than 40 percent of Cuba’s international seat capacity during peak winter months, meaning the suspension will punch a sizeable hole in the island’s hard-currency earnings just as high season approaches spring break.
![Canadian carriers ground Cuba flights as jet-fuel shortage bites]()
Meanwhile, Canadians scrambling to reroute their holidays to new destinations should double-check visa or entry-authorization requirements. VisaHQ’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides real-time guidance and expedited processing for everything from eTAs for Mexico to tourist visas for the Dominican Republic, ensuring last-minute itinerary changes don’t hit an unexpected border snag.
For Canadian tour operators, the scramble is on to protect package revenue by rerouting holidaymakers to Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica. Travel-risk managers are urging corporate travellers to reconsider non-essential trips to Cuba, warning that even carriers that continue flying may need technical stops in Nassau or Punta Cana to refuel on the northbound leg—adding hours to journey times and increasing the odds of missed connections.
Industry analysts say Canadian leisure airlines will evaluate a phased restart in May if fuel supplies stabilise, but the episode highlights the vulnerability of long-haul sun destinations to geopolitical supply shocks. Companies with expatriate staff in Cuba are being advised to review evacuation plans and ensure employees carry proof of onward tickets in case commercial capacity dwindles further.
Air Canada was first to act, cancelling 16 weekly rotations to Varadero, Cayo Coco, Holguín and Santa Clara and dispatching empty “ferry” flights loaded with extra fuel to repatriate about 3,000 customers. WestJet and Sunwing quickly followed, announcing an “orderly wind-down” of winter programmes and similar fuel-tanking strategies. Air Transat has halted all Cuba operations until at least 30 April, promising automatic refunds for trips not yet commenced.
The crisis stems from a tightening U.S. oil blockade that has choked off Venezuelan and, more recently, Mexican crude supplies to Cuba. Aviation Week data show Canadian carriers normally supply more than 40 percent of Cuba’s international seat capacity during peak winter months, meaning the suspension will punch a sizeable hole in the island’s hard-currency earnings just as high season approaches spring break.
Meanwhile, Canadians scrambling to reroute their holidays to new destinations should double-check visa or entry-authorization requirements. VisaHQ’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides real-time guidance and expedited processing for everything from eTAs for Mexico to tourist visas for the Dominican Republic, ensuring last-minute itinerary changes don’t hit an unexpected border snag.
For Canadian tour operators, the scramble is on to protect package revenue by rerouting holidaymakers to Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica. Travel-risk managers are urging corporate travellers to reconsider non-essential trips to Cuba, warning that even carriers that continue flying may need technical stops in Nassau or Punta Cana to refuel on the northbound leg—adding hours to journey times and increasing the odds of missed connections.
Industry analysts say Canadian leisure airlines will evaluate a phased restart in May if fuel supplies stabilise, but the episode highlights the vulnerability of long-haul sun destinations to geopolitical supply shocks. Companies with expatriate staff in Cuba are being advised to review evacuation plans and ensure employees carry proof of onward tickets in case commercial capacity dwindles further.
