Quick Read
- International airlines, including Russian and Canadian carriers, are suspending flights to Cuba due to a severe jet fuel shortage.
- Russia is evacuating approximately 5,000 tourists from Cuba, with Rossiya Airlines operating return-only flights.
- The fuel crisis is attributed to a US-imposed oil blockade and new executive orders under the Trump administration targeting Cuba’s energy supplies.
- The scarcity has led to widespread power outages, reduced public services, and hotel closures across the island.
- Russia and China have condemned the US actions and pledged to provide humanitarian assistance to Cuba.
HAVANA (Azat TV) – International airlines are significantly curtailing or suspending flights to Cuba as the island nation grapples with a severe jet fuel shortage, a crisis that has intensified due to the Trump administration’s renewed pressure and expanded sanctions on the Cuban government. The escalating energy scarcity is not only disrupting travel but also sparking humanitarian concerns and drawing strong condemnation from Russia and China.
Russia’s federal aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, announced on Wednesday that Rossiya Airlines and Nordwind Airlines have been forced to adjust their flight schedules to Cuba. Rossiya Airlines will now operate only return flights from Havana and Varadero to Moscow to facilitate what is being described as an “evacuation” of an estimated 5,000 Russian tourists currently on the island. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has also advised its citizens against travel to Cuba, while national carrier Aeroflot has announced repatriation flights, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Airlines Suspend Flights Amid Cuba’s Fuel Crisis
The immediate trigger for these flight disruptions is Cuba’s inability to secure sufficient jet fuel, a direct consequence of a United States-imposed oil blockade. This blockade has choked off vital supplies, particularly from Venezuela, following the US military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January 2026. Beyond Russian carriers, Air Canada and Canadian airlines Air Transat and WestJet have also cut flights to Cuba, reflecting the widespread impact of the fuel crisis on international air travel to the Caribbean nation.
The current situation marks a significant escalation of Cuba’s long-standing economic challenges, largely attributed to decades of US sanctions. However, the crisis has become particularly dire since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. President Trump has reportedly issued an executive order allowing for the imposition of trade tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, further tightening the economic noose around the island. Cuba, which can only produce about a third of its own fuel requirements, is now facing widespread power outages, reduced bus and train services, hotel closures, and restrictions on schools and universities, with public sector workers on a four-day work week.
US Policies and Humanitarian Concerns
The US government’s actions, including the oil blockade and new executive orders, have been criticized internationally. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Monday that Moscow was discussing “possible solutions” to provide Havana with “whatever assistance” it needs, accusing Washington of attempting to “suffocate” the Caribbean island nation. The Russian embassy in Havana is also in contact with Cuban aviation authorities to ensure the safe return of its citizens and Moscow plans to send humanitarian aid shipments of oil and petroleum products to Cuba, TASS reported.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week of a potential humanitarian “collapse” in Cuba if its energy needs remain unmet. This stark warning underscores the severe human impact of the ongoing fuel shortages, which are affecting essential services and the daily lives of Cuban citizens. The US policies are framed by critics as exacerbating an already fragile economic situation, pushing the country closer to a broader humanitarian crisis.
International Response to Cuba’s Energy Woes
China has also weighed in on the unfolding situation, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stating in Beijing that China “will do what it can” to assist Havana. Lin condemned what he described as “inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to survival and development.” While declining to confirm specific measures, Lin indicated that future moves would depend on bilateral consultations with Havana, reinforcing Beijing’s political backing for Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s government and its opposition to “external interference” in the island’s affairs.
The coordinated withdrawal of international flights and the explicit calls for humanitarian aid from major global players like Russia and China underscore the profound geopolitical implications of the US administration’s intensified pressure on Cuba. This latest phase of the long-standing US-Cuba standoff is not merely an economic challenge but a rapidly developing humanitarian concern, forcing other nations to respond to what they perceive as a deliberate strangulation of an island nation.