Cuba has informed international airlines that it will suspend the availability of jet fuel at its airports for about a month, a sign of how an escalating energy crisis is now disrupting civil aviation and tourism on the island.
According to official aviation notices, Jet A-1 fuel — the standard kerosene used for commercial aircraft — will not be available at Cuba’s major airports, including Havana’s José Martí International Airport, from 10 February to at least 11 March 2026. During this period, aircraft will be unable to refuel in Cuba and must either carry extra fuel or make technical stops in other countries before returning.
The fuel shortage is part of a broader energy emergency that has already led to blackouts, restrictions on transport services and cuts to public services. Cuban authorities have framed the crisis as being exacerbated by external pressure, including US sanctions and measures aimed at cutting off oil supplies.
The interruption to jet fuel supplies is likely to hit tourism — one of Cuba’s main sources of foreign exchange — as airlines restructure schedules or cancel flights.
Cuba’s government has introduced rationing plans and other emergency measures to cope with widespread shortages of fuel and electricity, while President Miguel Díaz-Canel has reiterated that the island is willing to hold talks with the United States “without preconditions” even as energy supplies remain severely constrained.
