February 9, 2026
RED FM News Desk
Air Canada says it is suspending its flights to Cuba starting today, Monday, due to a fuel shortage on the island. Canada’s largest airline said the decision was made after the Cuban government announced that aviation fuel would not be available at Cuban airports as of Tuesday.
Over the next few days, Air Canada will operate empty flights to Cuba to bring back approximately 3,000 customers who are currently stranded there. The Caribbean nation has been facing a worsening fuel shortage for some time amid a U.S. blockade of oil to the Caribbean nation and Cuban officials have said that jet fuel will not be available starting Tuesday, February 10. This is affecting both domestic and international flights in Cuba.
The carrier says its top priority is repatriating travellers already in Cuba, most of whom booked trips through Air Canada Vacations. Return flights from Cuba to Canada will continue in the near term, with aircraft carrying extra fuel or making technical refuelling stops if required.
Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations had earlier introduced flexible rebooking options as the situation developed. The airline has now moved to a refund policy for affected customers who had upcoming departures to Cuba that were cancelled. Those travellers will automatically receive a full refund to their original form of payment and do not need to contact customer service. Customers currently in Cuba can access on-the-ground support through Air Canada Vacations’ local representatives.
Under normal operations, Air Canada runs about 16 weekly flights to four Cuban destinations from Toronto and Montreal, including Varadero, Cayo Coco, Holguín and Santa Clara. Seasonal service to Holguín and Santa Clara has now been cancelled for the remainder of the season. Year-round routes to Varadero and Cayo Coco are also suspended, with a tentative restart date of May 1 pending further review.
Air Canada says it will continue to monitor the situation and determine when regular service to Cuba can safely resume. In the meantime, aircraft normally used on Cuban routes will be reassigned to other destinations.
The federal government has also issued an updated travel advisory for Canadians considering travel to Cuba. In the advisory, the government warned of shortages of basic necessities on the island, including electricity, fuel, food, water, and medicine, noting that the situation remains unpredictable and could deteriorate further. It also cautioned that flight disruptions may occur on short notice.
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