Commercial aviation links between North America, Europe, and Cuba are entering one of their most turbulent periods in decades, as Cuba’s airports confront a month-long interruption in supplies of Jet A‑1 fuel. Major carriers including Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, American Airlines, Iberia, and Lufthansa are now scrambling to adjust schedules, reroute aircraft, and reassure passengers as the island’s energy crisis spills directly onto the runways. With Cuba warning airlines that it cannot provide refueling at its main international gateways, the disruption is radiating through tourism, family travel, and cargo flows across the Caribbean and beyond.
Cuba’s Jet A‑1 Crisis Moves From Warning to Reality
The tipping point came as Cuban aviation authorities and global flight information systems confirmed that Jet A‑1 fuel, the standard kerosene-based fuel used by commercial jets, will not be available at José Martí International Airport in Havana and other Cuban airports for an extended period. A formal operational notice in the international NOTAM system specifies that “Jet A1 fuel not available” will apply from February 10, 2026, through March 11, 2026, affecting all categories of traffic, from scheduled passenger flights to cargo and charter operations.
This move effectively converts what had been a worsening energy crunch into a full-blown aviation supply shock. Earlier phases of the crisis saw rolling power cuts, scaled-back public transport, and rising concerns from hotel operators. Now the inability to refuel aircraft on Cuban soil forces airlines to choose between carrying extra fuel, adding technical stops in third countries, or canceling and consolidating services altogether. In practice, all three measures are being deployed at once, with wide-ranging implications for travelers.
Behind the airport notices lies a broader energy emergency. Cuban officials have publicly blamed an external “oil siege,” pointing to tighter US pressure on countries supplying crude to the island. Recent reporting by international agencies details how threats of tariffs and sanctions have chilled fuel shipments, leaving Cuba with increasingly thin reserves for power generation, land transport, and aviation. Whatever the precise mix of geopolitics and domestic mismanagement, the result is the same for airlines and passengers: jet fuel simply is not available at the pump in Cuba.
How the Shortage Disrupts Airline Operations
For long-haul and medium-haul operators such as Delta, American Airlines, Iberia, and Lufthansa, Jet A‑1 scarcity in Cuba creates a cascade of operational puzzles. Normally, airlines rely on a combination of fuel purchased at origin, fuel uplifted on intermediate stops, and refueling on arrival at destination. With Havana and other Cuban airports unable to offer Jet A‑1, any aircraft that lands there must already have enough fuel to continue elsewhere or must plan an immediate diversion to a nearby refueling point once passengers have disembarked.
In practice, this means redesigning routes in near real time. European carriers that once operated efficient nonstops or single-stop services to Cuba may now need to add refueling calls at other Caribbean or North American airports. US airlines, which operate some of the most frequent services to Cuba from hubs in Florida and other states, are weighing whether to tank extra fuel on departure, accept payload penalties that reduce the number of seats or cargo they can sell, or move to a model of technical stops on return segments. Every such change affects schedules, crew duty times, and maintenance rotations, increasing costs and complexity.
Shorter routes from nearby gateways are not immune either. For Delta and American Airlines, which have built networks of flights linking US cities to Havana, Holguín, Varadero, and other Cuban destinations in recent years, the inability to refuel locally undermines the flexibility that usually allows aircraft to rotate between domestic and international legs. Planes may have to be dedicated to Cuba runs, departing with more fuel than normal and coming back earlier than planned, which constrains fleet use across the system.
Delta, American, Iberia, Lufthansa and Air Canada Under Pressure
Among global carriers, North American and European airlines with established Cuban operations figure most prominently in the fallout from the Jet A‑1 shutdown. American Airlines has been one of the largest foreign operators to Cuba by weekly frequency, serving Havana and several regional airports with multiple daily services from Miami and additional flights from other US hubs. Even if many of American’s routes fall within narrow-body aircraft range without refueling, the airline must now factor in additional fuel requirements, possible weight restrictions, and contingency planning in case of diversions.
Delta, which rebuilt its Cuba network in the years prior to the latest wave of geopolitical tensions, faces comparable trade-offs. Routes from Atlanta and other US cities rely on predictable ground handling and turnaround times in Havana. Any requirement to tanker extra fuel or adjust turn times can ripple through connecting banks in the United States, particularly where tight connections are marketed to business and visiting-family travelers. These disruptions may prompt Delta to thin frequencies or temporarily suspend less profitable rotations until fuel availability stabilizes.
For Iberia and Lufthansa, the challenge is more squarely long haul. Flights from Madrid, Frankfurt, and potentially other European hubs to Havana typically operate near their maximum efficient range. Removing the option of local refueling can force aircraft to depart Europe with heavier fuel loads, potentially reducing available seats or cargo capacity, or to schedule intermediate stops elsewhere in the Caribbean, Central America, or the United States. Either scenario lengthens travel time, raises operating costs, and may weaken the appeal of Cuba as a destination compared with rival Caribbean islands.
Air Canada, meanwhile, is confronting a dual shock: a fuel-deprived Cuba that is also consolidating and temporarily closing hotels to save energy. Canadian tourism is one of Cuba’s largest inbound markets, and Canadian carriers, including Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, and tour operator partners, have already activated flexible rebooking policies for travel this winter. Passengers holding tickets for affected resorts or flights to certain Cuban destinations are being encouraged to rebook to later dates, switch to alternative resorts, or accept travel credits, as airlines seek to reduce exposure to an unstable operating environment.
Immediate Impacts on Travelers and Tourism
For passengers, the most visible symptoms of Cuba’s Jet A‑1 shortage are sudden schedule changes, longer travel times, and, in some cases, outright cancellations. Tourists heading to all-inclusive resorts on Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa María, Varadero, and Holguín report being notified with little warning that their flights have been rescheduled, rerouted, or moved to different airports. Others have discovered on arrival that their hotels are consolidating guests into fewer properties, a measure Cuban officials say is intended to reduce electricity and fuel use but which adds an extra layer of uncertainty to vacations.
Travel advisories from foreign governments and tour operators now explicitly mention the risk of fuel-related disruptions, advising visitors to maintain close contact with airlines, keep flexible return plans, and ensure travel insurance covers delays or forced extensions. Canadian consular updates, for example, have highlighted the possibility that limited fuel and power supplies could complicate travel around the island, including the risk of ground transport interruptions and curtailed domestic flights.
For independent travelers and Cuban diaspora communities, the situation is particularly stressful. Many journeys to Cuba are tied to family visits, remittances, or time-sensitive obligations such as medical appointments. With airlines continually revising flight schedules and some Cuban domestic services already pared back due to the broader transport crisis, getting between provinces has become harder. Where connections once relied on a combination of domestic flights and long-distance buses, both modes are now threatened by fuel scarcity, leaving some travelers facing long delays or improvised overland journeys.
Economic Stakes for Cuba’s Flagging Tourism Sector
The aviation fuel shock arrives at a precarious moment for Cuba’s tourism-dependent economy. After years of underperformance, official statistics already showed a decline in visitor arrivals and transport capacity through 2024 and 2025. Now, at what should be the peak of the high season, Cuba is closing some hotels, consolidating others, and accepting fewer flights, just as resorts elsewhere in the Caribbean compete aggressively for the same North American and European travelers.
Tourism is a vital source of hard currency for Cuba, helping to finance imports of food, medicine, and fuel. Every canceled or downgauged flight represents not just lost airline revenue, but also fewer hotel nights, restaurant visits, and local excursions. International analysts estimate that hundreds of scheduled weekly flights to Cuba could be affected by the current fuel gap, with particular strain on key source markets such as Canada and Europe. The combination of negative headlines, travel disruptions, and reduced service risks eroding traveler confidence beyond the immediate crisis window.
Hotel closures underscore the severity of the situation. Local reports and foreign media cite at least several major properties in beach destinations being taken temporarily offline, with guests moved to other resorts that remain operational. Officials describe this as a “consolidation” strategy designed to preserve service quality and reduce energy consumption, but for tour operators it complicates inventory management and increases the likelihood of compensation claims. Over time, repeated episodes of forced consolidation and fuel-related flight disruptions could prompt large tour companies to shift capacity permanently to other destinations perceived as more reliable.
Geopolitics, Energy Blockade Claims, and Aviation Fallout
Cuba’s aviation fuel crisis is not occurring in a vacuum. It is deeply entangled with deteriorating relations between Havana and Washington, as well as broader regional dynamics. Cuban leaders have accused the United States of waging an “energy blockade” by threatening sanctions or tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island. Recent measures by the US administration, including intensified efforts to limit fuel shipments from Venezuela and pressure on other potential suppliers, have reduced the number of tankers willing to dock in Cuban ports, according to regional energy analysts.
Washington, for its part, rejects the “blockade” characterization, arguing that Cuba’s woes stem primarily from inefficiencies and structural problems in its state-managed economy. However, whatever the rhetoric, the practical effect is a sharp tightening of Cuba’s access to refined products such as Jet A‑1. With domestic refineries unable to produce aviation kerosene in sufficient volumes, and foreign suppliers wary of crossing US red lines, airports are left without the fuel needed to sustain a normal level of international service.
The aviation dimension also interacts with migration and security concerns. As Cuba struggles to keep lights on and planes flying, neighboring countries have reevaluated visa and entry rules that previously offered Cubans relatively easy transit to North America and Europe. This reduces options for irregular migration but also complicates legitimate travel and family reunification. Airlines like American, Delta, Iberia, Lufthansa, and Air Canada now operate at the intersection of these policy crosscurrents, trying to maintain commercial links while navigating an increasingly politicized environment.
What Passengers Should Expect in the Coming Weeks
With the Jet A‑1 shortage formally projected to last at least through March 11, 2026, travelers booked on Delta, Air Canada, American Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, and other carriers serving Cuba should brace for a period of heightened uncertainty. Most airlines are expected to prioritize safety and regulatory compliance, which means building in extra fuel margins, allowing more time between rotations, and erring on the side of conservative scheduling. The practical consequence may be fewer frequencies, altered departure and arrival times, and in some cases a switch from direct flights to one-stop itineraries via alternative hubs.
Passengers can also expect an expansion of flexible rebooking and waiver policies. Air Canada and its vacation arm have already announced options for customers to change dates or destinations without additional penalties or to accept travel credits where hotel closures or significant service downgrades occur. It is likely that American, Delta, Iberia, Lufthansa, and others will fine-tune their own customer-care responses as the scope of the disruption becomes clearer. Travelers holding tickets for late February and early March should monitor airline notifications closely and consider building in extra buffer days around essential travel.
On the ground in Cuba, visitors should prepare for the indirect effects of the fuel crunch beyond the airport. Reduced interprovincial bus services, fewer domestic flights, and localized power outages may complicate efforts to combine multiple cities into one trip. Simple precautions, such as confirming ground transfers in advance, staying in close contact with tour operators, and keeping mobile devices charged where possible, can help mitigate some of the unpredictability. For those who have not yet booked, travel agents are increasingly steering risk-averse clients to alternative Caribbean destinations until the situation normalizes.
Looking Ahead: Can Connectivity Be Stabilized?
In the medium term, the resilience of Cuba’s air links with North America and Europe will depend on whether the island can secure a steadier supply of aviation fuel and whether airlines view the current turbulence as a temporary shock or a sign of deeper structural fragility. If additional shipments of crude or refined products materialize from friendly countries, or if diplomatic channels ease some of the pressure on suppliers, Jet A‑1 availability at Cuban airports could be restored sooner than the worst-case projections now circulating in industry circles.
Even in a more optimistic supply scenario, however, the episode is likely to leave a lasting imprint on network planning at major airlines. Carriers such as Delta, American Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, and Air Canada continually reassess route profitability and operational risk. A destination that has repeatedly faced fuel shortages, rolling blackouts, and forced hotel consolidations may struggle to regain its previous share of capacity, especially when competing islands tout modern infrastructure and stable supplies. Future growth in Cuban air service will depend not only on geopolitical shifts, but also on the country’s ability to invest in energy resilience and aviation support services.
For travelers, the key takeaway is that Cuba’s current Jet A‑1 crisis is more than an isolated technical glitch. It is the visible edge of a broader energy and economic storm that is reshaping how airlines operate to and from the island. Over the coming weeks, the choices made by governments, fuel suppliers, and airline executives will determine whether this moment becomes a brief detour or a more permanent redrawing of the Caribbean’s aviation map.