Air Canada has suspended service to Cuba as the island country deals with a severe shortage of aviation fuel.
The carrier said Monday that it will operate empty southbound flights to pick up about 3,000 customers in Cuba and bring them back home to Canada.
“For remaining flights, Air Canada will tanker in extra fuel and make technical stops as necessary to refuel on the return journey if necessary,” the airline said in a statement. “Air Canada will continue to monitor the situation to determine an appropriate restart of normal service to Cuba at a future date.”
Cuba’s government said Sunday that it can no longer refuel commercial aircraft traveling to the island due to the shortage. Commercial jet fuel sales at Cuban airports are expected to be cut off as of Monday or Tuesday.
The U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last month deprived Havana of a key political ally and a main source of oil. The situation worsened in recent weeks as President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that provides oil to Cuba, either directly or indirectly.
Trump has called the Cuban government an “extraordinary threat,” citing its ties to China, Russia, and Iran.
Cuba has enacted wide-ranging measures to depress energy consumption and ration the resources it still has. Some resorts are closing or scaling back operations, and the work week at state-owned corporations has been shortened to four days from five.
It is expected that additional carriers will suspend service to Cuba if jet fuel cannot be made available.
Other international airlines currently serving the country include Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, WestJet, Viva, LATAM, Air France, and Aeroflot.
Air Canada operates an average of 16 nonstop flights per week to four destinations in Cuba from Toronto and Montreal. The destinations are Cayo Coco, Holguín, Varadero, and Santa Clara.
As of Monday, seasonal flights to Holguín and Santa Clara have been canceled for the rest of the season. Flights to Varadero and Cayo Coco, which are scheduled to operate year-round, are suspended with a tentative restart date of May 1, pending a review.
