Cuba's shortage of aviation fuel has stranded thousands of Canadian tourists on the island, prompting flight cancellations by several airlines. The carriers have pledged to repatriate those affected, while the Cuban government blames the crisis on a U.S. blockade of oil supplies. Mexico halted its crude exports to Cuba under pressure from Washington but sent humanitarian aid instead.
On Monday, February 10, 2026, the Cuban government issued a Notam stating no kerosene would be available for international flights for at least a month, due to the suspension of aircraft fuel supplies. This has sparked panic among Canadian tourists, the top visitors to the island, with 754,010 arrivals in 2025, down 12.4% from the previous year. In the first two months of 2026, 176,611 Canadians arrived, fewer than the 261,009 in the same period of 2025.
Air Canada announced flight cancellations the previous Friday and pledged to repatriate about 3,000 tourists. Air Transat suspended all flights to Cuba until April 30, 2026, initially planning to continue but reversing after canceling two flights to Holguín and Varadero that Monday. WestJet and Sunwing, initially optimistic, announced they would depart Canada with empty aircraft to facilitate travelers' return.
Several hotels have closed to conserve resources, including three in Cayo Santa María (Valentin Perla Blanca, Sol Cayo Santa María, and Melia Buenavista), five in Cayo Coco (Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar, Gran Muthu Imperial Cayo Guillermo, Iberostar Origin Daiquiri, Tryp Cayo Coco, and Hotel Mojito), one in Varadero (El Patriarca), and one in Holguín (Gran Muthu Ensenada).
Travel agent Lisette Cormier-Noël described the situation as 'total chaos,' with clients calling in panic after seeing hotel closures on social media. 'At least they've implemented measures to ensure customers don't lose their money,' she said, lamenting the lack of electricity, food, and drinking water for Cubans.
The geopolitical context involves the Trump administration's blockade of energy supplies, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking to overthrow the Cuban government. Mexico suspended oil exports after Trump's tariff threats, but President Claudia Sheinbaum sent hundreds of tons of humanitarian goods. 'This sanction is very unjust... sanctions that affect the people are not right,' Sheinbaum stated.
The Canadian government raised its Cuba travel advisory to yellow in October 2023 and recently warned of unpredictable flight disruptions. Despite this, couples like Eric and Francine planned to travel, saying: 'We're not too worried about the oil shortage.' Airlines are offering full refunds and flexible rescheduling.
