(Updated) Canadian airlines suspend flights to Cuba amid aviation fuel shortage

Major Canadian airlines have suspended service to Cuba as the Caribbean country faces a worsening energy crisis amid a U.S. blockade of oil.

Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat each said on Monday that they were cancelling flights to Cuba, citing a shortage of aviation fuel.

All three airlines said they had plans to bring travellers home to Canada.

Air Canada said it made the decision "following advisories issued by governments regarding the unreliability of the aviation fuel supply at Cuban airports," adding that it would dispatch empty flights southbound to pick up about 3,000 travellers to bring them home.

"It is projected that as of Feb. 10 aviation fuel will not be commercially available at the island’s airports," Air Canada said in a news release.

WestJet followed suit later Monday after initially saying it intended to continue flights as planned, announcing it had suspended sales for service to Cuba and cancelled scheduled trips. 

The airline said the decision would affect WestJet, Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and Vacances WestJet Québec.

Air Transat also initially said its flights would operate as scheduled but reversed course Monday evening.

"We are currently organizing a return plan to Canada, which includes regular flights as well as additional repatriation flights," it said in a notice on its website.

Cuba is rationing energy as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump cuts the island off from its traditional fuel sources. Trump is seeking to isolate Cuba and further ramp up the pressure on the country, a longtime adversary under strict economic sanctions from Washington. 

Trump has said the Cuban government is ready to fall, and that the island would receive no more oil shipments from Venezuela after a U.S. military operation deposed former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

Last month, Trump signed an executive order allowing for tariffs on goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba.

The Canadian government upgraded its travel advisory on Feb. 4 for Cuba, urging travellers to "exercise a high degree of caution" because of worsening shortages of electricity, fuel and basic needs like food, water and medicine.

"The situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate, disrupting flight availability on short notice," Global Affairs Canada warned.

Air Transat said it was suspending all flights to Cuba until April 30. Air Canada and WestJet did not say when they would resume flights, only that they would continue monitoring the situation. 

Air Canada had initially offered a flexible rebooking offer for those travelling to Cuba. Air Canada Vacations, the tour operating arm of the airline, is introducing a refund policy for those with scheduled departures.

For the returning flights from Cuba, "Air Canada will tanker in extra fuel and make a technical stop as necessary to refuel on the return journey if necessary," the airline said. Those return flights are expected in the coming days.

Air Transat said bookings to Cuba between Wednesday and the end of April would be automatically cancelled and refunds issued.

WestJet, which acquired Sunwing in 2025, said it has activated flexible policies to allow travellers to adjust their plans without penalty. 

"All flights will carry sufficient fuel to ensure a safe departure without relying on local fuel availability," the airline said in an update on its website.

"At this time, there are no safety or security concerns for our guests who remain in Cuba."

Martin Firestone, president of Toronto-based insurance brokerage firm Travel Secure Inc., said travellers with non-refundable trips to Cuba should consider purchasing cancellation or interruption insurance while they still can.

“I am getting many calls from people (asking), 'can I buy cancellation if I buy this trip to Cuba' and the answer is yes, still at this point. I can't imagine how much longer the insurers will stay on board with this because really once something becomes a known cause it's typically stopped or at least the offer is off the table,” Firestone said.

Last week, certain hotels were shuttered on parts of the island, with tourists transferred to resorts with higher occupancies. Earlier this month, the Cuba Tourist Board of Canada, which represents the country and is based in Toronto, said resorts were operating normally and food, fuel and supplies had been secured ahead of the peak season.

Moscou Côté, president of the Quebec Association of Travel Agents, said despite the difficulties, the level of service is on par with what travellers have experienced post-COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba.

"Overall we go to Cuba for the price and the price is still very attractive to Cuba," he said.

There have been moments in the past where Cuban airports have seen a run on aviation fuel, requiring flights to make a stop in the Bahamas on the return home, he said.

"You have to understand that tour operators like Transat, Air Canada and Sunwing have been dealing with Cuba for over 30 years," Côté said. "So they are used to these kinds of operational headaches."

However, one commercial pilot told The Associated Press on Monday that while refuelling issues have occurred before, a situation of this scale is extraordinary even for an island accustomed to perpetual crisis.

Still, Côté said anyone looking to book a trip going to the island should wait a little bit.

"We'll have a good idea in the next couple of days how the situation is managed and what to expect," he said. "So I would think it might be a good idea to wait a couple of days, you know, just to make sure everything is properly addressed."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2026.

— with files from The Associated Press