Air Canada’s abrupt suspension of all flights to Cuba, citing an acute shortage of aviation fuel on the island, has dealt a fresh and destabilizing blow to the Caribbean nation’s already fragile tourism industry. Announced on February 9, 2026, the decision comes at the height of the winter high season and shines a harsh light on how deeply Cuba’s worsening energy crisis now threatens not only visitor arrivals but also the country’s broader economic stability.
A Sudden Halt in the Sky
Air Canada, the country’s largest carrier and a key lifeline for the Cuban leisure market, said it was forced to halt service after being informed that jet fuel would no longer be commercially available at Cuban airports as of February 10. Notices to airmen issued over the weekend confirmed that Jet A-1 fuel supplies would be cut at major gateways including Havana, Varadero, Holguín, Santa Clara and Cayo Coco at least through March 11, effectively severing the island’s capacity to refuel visiting aircraft.
Until this week, Air Canada operated an average of 16 weekly flights from Toronto and Montreal to four Cuban destinations, serving a steady flow of winter vacationers bound for the beaches of Varadero and Cayo Coco or the colonial streets of Holguín and Santa Clara. Those routes are now suspended, with the airline projecting a tentative review of service from May 1, subject to an improvement in fuel availability and operational reliability.
In the short term, the carrier is dispatching empty southbound aircraft to repatriate approximately 3,000 Canadian customers already in Cuba. These ferry flights will tanker in their own fuel and, if necessary, execute technical stops in third countries on the return leg. While such measures ensure that travelers are not stranded, they underscore the extent of the crisis: Cuba, at least for the coming weeks, cannot supply the basic aviation fuel required to keep its skies open.
Canadian Tourists: A Lifeline Under Threat
The suspension hits at the heart of Cuba’s tourism economy. Canada has long been the island’s largest single source of foreign visitors, and official figures show that more than 750,000 Canadians traveled to Cuba in 2025, far outnumbering any other national market. For many Canadians, all inclusive resorts in Varadero, Cayo Coco and other sun destinations are winter staples, and Air Canada has been one of the principal carriers feeding that demand from major hubs.
Tourism is one of Cuba’s few significant generators of hard currency, crucial for paying for food, fuel and essential imports. After the pandemic-era collapse, the sector has struggled to recover, with arrivals still well below peak levels and hotel occupancy lagging despite aggressive pricing. Losing a marquee partner like Air Canada in the middle of high season strains that recovery further, heightening anxiety among private guesthouse owners, restaurant operators and tour providers who rely heavily on Canadian guests.
The blow also arrives amid already declining visitor numbers. Government data show that international tourist arrivals in 2025 fell to about 1.8 million, the lowest full year figure since 2002 excluding the pandemic period. Hotel occupancy slid into the low twenties in percentage terms. Even before the fuel crisis, analysts and industry insiders were warning that without a strong Canadian winter season, Cuba would miss its already modest tourism targets and face an even sharper foreign currency crunch.
Fuel Crisis Tips Tourism Over the Edge
The aviation fuel shortage is the most visible manifestation of a broader energy emergency gripping the island. In recent months, Cuba has endured severe cuts in imported crude and refined products, as longstanding suppliers Venezuela and Mexico sharply reduced shipments under intense pressure from strengthened United States sanctions and a new policy of tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba. Local refining and power generation, already hampered by aging infrastructure and chronic underinvestment, have been unable to pick up the slack.
The result has been rolling blackouts across much of the country, with Havana and provincial cities experiencing hours of daily power cuts and rural areas sometimes left with only a few hours of electricity per day. Fuel rationing has forced reductions in public transport, hospital services and even banking hours. The government has shortened workweeks in some sectors and suspended major cultural events to conserve energy, prompting many Cubans to draw comparisons with the “Special Period” of the 1990s after the collapse of Soviet support.
Against this backdrop, the decision to stop providing jet fuel at nine airports is both a symptom and a cause of further economic damage. Authorities argue that aviation fuel is simply not available and that any remaining stocks must be reserved for critical domestic needs. But without the ability to refuel commercial aircraft, Cuba’s connectivity to key tourism markets is suddenly precarious. Some airlines, particularly those with shorter routes or more flexible fleets, are planning to continue operations by refueling in nearby countries. For others, like Air Canada, the disruption was deemed unsustainable.
Crisis in the Hotels and on the Ground
Even before Air Canada’s suspension, the energy crunch was reshaping the experience on the ground for visitors. In early February, the government began quietly closing hotels with low occupancy, relocating guests to a smaller number of properties in order to concentrate power, water and staffing. Industry sources reported closures and consolidations in the Varadero resort area and on northern islets, with international chains complying with directives to reduce energy use.
This consolidation strategy may keep lights and air conditioning running at flagship resorts, but it also reflects a system stretched to its limits. Some travelers have reported reduced services, shorter restaurant hours and limited entertainment offerings as hotels seek to cut electricity consumption. Transfers between regions have grown more difficult as intercity bus services are pared back, while car rental agencies and private taxis struggle to secure gasoline or diesel.
Local communities, which have come to depend on tourist spending to supplement meager state salaries, are feeling the strain as well. Private bed and breakfast operators, known as casas particulares, often operate with fragile margins and limited backup power. Extended outages and fuel scarcity jeopardize their ability to host guests safely and comfortably. Small family-run restaurants face food supply disruptions and unpredictable refrigeration, adding another layer of risk to an already precarious business environment.
Airlines Adapt, but Connectivity Frays
Air Canada’s complete withdrawal stands in contrast to other operators that say they will keep flying, at least for now. Air Transat and WestJet/Sunwing have indicated that their flights will continue, stressing that their aircraft arrive in Cuba with sufficient fuel to depart again without relying on local supplies. To manage risk, these carriers are implementing flexible change and cancellation policies, allowing travelers to alter itineraries or take credits if they prefer to delay or reroute their trips.
Outside Canada, some European and Latin American airlines are exploring or activating contingency plans familiar from previous Cuban fuel crunches. These include scheduling technical stops in third countries such as the Dominican Republic, Panama, the Bahamas or Mexico to refuel en route. While operationally feasible, these maneuvers add complexity and cost, and may shrink already thin profit margins on leisure routes where price competition is fierce.
The longer the jet fuel shortage persists, the more likely it is that other carriers will reconsider their commitments. Airlines are intensely sensitive to operational uncertainty and reputational risk. A sustained inability to refuel in Cuba, layered on top of broader energy-related disruptions on the ground, raises questions about schedule reliability, passenger satisfaction and crew logistics. For a destination positioning itself as a relaxed and worry free escape from northern winters, such doubts can be devastating.
Economic Reverberations Far Beyond the Beach
The impact of the Air Canada suspension and the underlying fuel crisis extends well beyond resort corridors. Tourism revenue is a pillar of Cuba’s balance of payments, supporting imports of food, medicine and industrial inputs. A further erosion of visitor spending will tighten an already severe dollar shortage, weakening the government’s ability to stabilize the peso, pay for fuel shipments when available, and service its external obligations.
Many of Cuba’s largest tourism assets are operated by state-linked conglomerates, including military controlled entities that are themselves subject to United States sanctions. These restrictions limit access to credit and scare off potential foreign investors, constraining the sector’s capacity to invest in energy efficiency, renewable power or resilience measures that might cushion future shocks. The current emergency highlights how vulnerable a centrally managed, import dependent model can be when external supplies are choked.
There are also social and employment implications. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans depend directly or indirectly on tourism for work, from hotel staff and tour guides to farmers supplying food to resorts. If arrivals continue to fall and hotels consolidate or close, job losses are likely to mount, adding to outward migration pressures already visible in recent years. That in turn could hollow out the human capital base the sector needs for any eventual recovery, further undermining long term stability.
Strategic Crossroads for Cuban Tourism
The current crisis forces Cuba to confront strategic questions about the structure and resilience of its tourism industry. Over the past decade, authorities have prioritized large scale resort construction and foreign management contracts, betting that an expanded inventory of all inclusive properties would draw sufficient visitors to generate stable foreign exchange. Yet the combination of geopolitical tensions, sanctions, pandemic shocks, hurricanes, blackouts and now fuel shortages has repeatedly exposed the fragility of this growth model.
To reduce vulnerability, some experts argue that Cuba should accelerate diversification in both energy and tourism. On the energy side, this would mean serious investment in renewables and upgrading the grid to lessen dependence on imported oil. In tourism, it could involve spreading visitor flows more evenly across seasons and markets, nurturing sustainable and community based offerings, and expanding partnerships with operators willing to shoulder operational complexity in exchange for unique product.
However, such transitions require capital, technology and predictable policy frameworks, all of which are currently in short supply. While Cuba has signaled openness to foreign participation in selected sectors, investors often confront opaque regulations, payment delays and political risk associated with sanctions. Without credible reforms and fresh financing, the island may find it difficult to break the cycle of crisis management that now defines its tourism planning.
What Travelers and Industry Stakeholders Should Watch
For would be visitors, the immediate priority is practical: understanding how the fuel crisis and Air Canada’s suspension will affect trips in the coming weeks. Travelers booked on Air Canada itineraries to Cuba should expect rebooking, refunds or alternative routing, depending on the airline’s evolving policies. Those scheduled to fly with other carriers will want to monitor advisories closely, as operating conditions at Cuban airports remain highly fluid.
On the ground, visitors who do proceed with travel should be prepared for the possibility of power cuts, reduced services and last minute changes in accommodation as hotels are consolidated. Flexible expectations, contingency plans and close communication with tour operators or hosts will be essential. While many travelers currently in Cuba describe the situation as manageable, the environment is unpredictable and can vary significantly between regions and properties.
For the broader industry, Cuba’s latest setback will be watched as a cautionary tale about the intersection of geopolitics, energy security and tourism. Destinations highly dependent on imported fuel and a narrow range of source markets are particularly exposed to shocks. The experience may push tour operators, hotel groups and airlines to re evaluate risk in the Caribbean and beyond, factoring in not only climate related disruptions but also sanctions, supply chain fragility and political volatility.
Whether this moment marks a brief, painful interruption or the onset of a deeper reconfiguration of Cuba’s tourism landscape will depend on how quickly the island can restore fuel supplies, reassure airlines and stabilize services for visitors. For now, Air Canada’s grounded fleet stands as a stark symbol of an industry at a crossroads and an economy whose long term stability is increasingly in question.