Following the U.S. crackdown that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in early January, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened the Caribbean island nation of Cuba.
After calling the country an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security, the Trump administration has blocked all oil supplies to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country that provides them.
After Maduro’s ouster cut off key supplies, the Cuban government warned that the country was running out of oil, which would hamper any airlines trying to land there for refueling stops. For a month starting February 9, Cuba is suspending oil supplies to foreign airlines to address the energy crisis, CNBC reported.
This means that airlines, including American Airlines, Air Canada, and Air France, which operate many flights to the country, must either carry enough backup jet fuel or arrange refueling stops in nearby Caribbean countries such as the Dominican Republic or Jamaica.
The move affects central Havana José Martí International Airport (HAV) and smaller airports in Cuban cities including Varadero, Holguin, Manzanillo and Santa Clara.
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Mexico had previously tried to increase oil supplies to Cuba, only to be pushed back by the threat of tariffs. The humanitarian situation, reported by Reuters, has reached critical levels, with many parts of the country without power.
Canada’s national airline, Air Canada, has drastically cut back its Cuba service and operated mainly non-revenue flights out of the country to bring stranded passengers home.
Air France has confirmed to the French news service AFP that it will reroute refueling stops to other countries in the Caribbean.
“We will operate as scheduled from Cuba, transporting passengers to Canada,” an Air Canada airline representative said in a statement. “We continue to monitor the situation to ensure safe and reliable operations for our passengers and crew and will share more information as it becomes available.”
American Airlines, which at this time of year operates more than 70 weekly flights from Miami International (MIA) to Cuban cities such as Havana and Holguin, is another airline that could see significant disruption by a Cuban NOTAM that prevents foreign carriers from refueling.
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