Cuban authorities have warned international airlines of a serious shortage of aviation fuel, which could lead to changes in international flight schedules and routes. Since the beginning of the week, the country has been effectively unable to guarantee refueling for aircraft flying to and from the island, according to industry sources.
Aviation fuel will not be available at Havana's José Martí International Airport between February 10 and March 11, according to a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation NOTAM issued on February 8th. This threatens the regular operation of international flights, especially long-haul flights.
At the moment the airline — including American, Spanish, Panamanian, Mexican, Latin American and Russian carriers — have not publicly announced specific measures. However, industry sources do not rule out temporary reductions in flight frequency, changes in schedules, or flights with stopovers for refueling, particularly in Mexico or the Dominican Republic.
This practice has been used before, both in the 1990s during the “special period” and in recent months during temporary interruptions in fuel supplies.
Cuba's main international routes traditionally connect the island with the United States (Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale), Spain (Madrid), Panama (Panama City) and Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey, Merida). In addition, flights to Bogota, Santo Domingo and Caracas are maintained.
The route through Cuba is one of the main routes for guest countries traveling from Russia to Mexico. Although you have to independently change the airport from Varadero to Havana, this is compensated by the absence of denied boarding as when flying through Turkey or the Emirates.
But the fuel shortage in Cuba also affected the Russian visiting powers. Hundreds of holidaymakers in Varadero experienced flight delays of up to 1-2 days, and some flights were cancelled. According to media reports and travel channels, planes are being forced to be flown to Havana to refuel with remaining kerosene, leading to hours of waiting for passengers.
February 8, 2026 flight of the airline «Russia» from Moscow to Varadero was canceled right before takeoff. Passengers were explained that the airline was not able to operate a return flight due to the lack of an option to refuel in Cuba. We think this is not the last cancellation.
Passengers of the Venezuelan airline Conviasa face a difficult situation: flights disappear from the online board, and materials about flights are often missing. It is known that Conviasa has decided to terminate its flight program to Cuba after February 22, 2026. Passengers with tickets for later dates were informed that their transportation to Russia would be handled by the Russian airline Nordwind.
Currently flights between Russia and Cuba are operated by:
- Nordwind Airlines,
- «Russia» («Aeroflot» group),
- Conviasa — until the completion of the flight program in February 2026.
The actual schedule may change on an operational basis based on fuel availability at Cuban airfields.
Cuban authorities link the situation to the growing energy crisis. Industry sources estimate that the island's current fuel reserves may only last 2-3 weeks. The problem is directly related to increased sanctions pressure from the United States. Earlier, Washington announced a cessation of supplies of Venezuelan oil to the island, which sharply worsened the state’s fuel balance. Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said that the US actions create criteria for a «total blockade of fuel supplies» and put the country in an extreme situation.
The Cuban Ministry of Tourism claims that the situation is under control and assures that measures are being taken to minimize the impact on foreign tourists, including Russians. However, we warn our readers that flights from Russia to Cuba may stop at any time.