Air Canada Suspends Cuba Flights Due to Aviation Fuel Shortage

Air Canada has announced the immediate suspension of all flights to Cuba following advisories regarding a critical shortage of aviation fuel at Cuban airports. The decision follows warnings from governments that fuel supply on the island has become unreliable, with projections indicating that aviation fuel may no longer be commercially available as of February 10.

Air Canada Cuba Flights Suspended

The suspension is driven entirely by fuel availability and operational reliability, rather than demand or aircraft availability. According to Air Canada, the uncertainty around aviation fuel supply at Cuban airports makes it impractical to continue normal passenger operations. For the remaining return flights, the airline has indicated it may need to make technical refuelling stops en route back to Canada, if required. Impacted routes from Canada include;

From Toronto:

• 4 times weekly to Jardines del Rey Airport in Cayo Coco,
• 2 times weekly to Frank País Airport in Holguín,
• 4 times weekly to Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport in Varadero,
• Once weekly to Abel Santamaría Airport in Santa Clara.

From Montreal:

• 3 times weekly to Jardines del Rey Airport in Cayo Coco,
• 2 times weekly to Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport in Varadero.

Air Canada’s immediate priority is repatriating customers who are already in Cuba. The airline estimates that approximately 3,000 customers are currently at their destination, the majority of whom are travelling on Air Canada Vacations packages.

To manage this, Air Canada will operate empty ferry flights southbound to Cuba over the coming days. These aircraft will then operate their scheduled northbound legs back to Canada, allowing customers to return home with minimal disruption.

Refunds, Rebookings, and Customer Support

Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations had already introduced flexible rebooking policies before the full suspension. With the cancellation of outbound flights now confirmed, Air Canada Vacations is moving to a refund-based approach.

Customers with scheduled departures to Cuba who had their trips cancelled will automatically receive a full refund to their original form of payment.

Travellers currently in Cuba who booked through Air Canada Vacations can access direct, on-the-ground support from local Air Canada Vacations representatives, who are available to assist with questions, logistics, and return arrangements.

Takeaway

For now, the restart of Cuba service remains uncertain and will depend entirely on the stabilization of aviation fuel supply at Cuban airports. For travellers, the key takeaway is that outbound flights are suspended due to fuel supply concerns, return flights are being protected through ferry operations, and refunds are being issued automatically for cancelled departures. As always, PMB readers with upcoming travel plans should closely monitor airline communications and their bookings for updates.