Jet fuel availability in Cuba appears unlikely to improve in the near term, with authorities extending notices regarding unavilability of fuel at the nation’s airports.
Cuba has been grappling with severe fuel shortages that began shortly after the 3 January capture and ouster of Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro by US special forces.
Following that mission, the administration of US President Donald Trump started blocking shipments of Venezuela oil to Cuba.
The shortages have already prompted numerous airlines to slash flights.
The county had on 10 February issued notices warning of fuel shortages through 3 March, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) database.
Cuba has now extended the fuel-shortage warnings through 4 April, NOTAMs issued by the FAA on 3 March show.
“Jet A1 fuel not available,” say the notices, which apply to 10 Cuban airports.
Those include Havana’s Jose Marti International and airports in Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and Varadero.
The fuel shortages had already prompted airlines to cancel Cuba flights. Air Canada and competitor WestJet both said in February they were halting flights to the Caribbean island nation.
Other airlines have continued serving Cuba, but with fuel stops outside the nation. Now, some of those carriers are going further by cancelling flights. Those include Air France, which reportedly has suspended operations to the country between 28 March and 15 June.
Air France did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US carriers are still flying to the country, including Southwest Airlines, with flights from Tampa to Havana, and American Airlines and Delta Airlines, each with flights from Miami to the Cuban capital, according to Flightradar24.com.
“Southwest Airlines is requiring aircraft that fly to Havana to carry enough fuel to also fly to their next destination,” says Southwest, which operates only one daily Havana flight.
”There is no operational impact to Delta at this time,” that airline says.
Copa Airlines is also still flying to Havana from Panama City, and Aeromexico is flying there from Mexico City, Flightradar24.com shows.
