The Cuban government warned international airlines operating on the island that as of this Monday, the country will be out of aviation fuel due to the US oil siege, as confirmed by two sources to EFE.
For now, the affected airlines—mainly American, Spanish, Panamanian, and Mexican—have not publicly announced how they will handle this situation, which could cause disruptions to routes, frequencies, and schedules, at least in the short term.
However, this is not new for Cuba. The remaining fuel needs were met through imports from Venezuela (which accounted for about 30% of the total in 2025) and, to a lesser extent, from Mexico and Russia.
The Cuban government announced this week a tough emergency plan to survive without crude oil and derivative imports, which included ending diesel sales, reducing the operating hours of hospitals and state offices, and closing some hotels.
Cuba is facing a new escalation from the United States. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 29 threatening tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, alleging that the island posed a national security threat to his country.
This was another turn of the screw in the energy pressure on Cuba that began on January 3, following a military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The Cuban government has stated it is open to dialogue with Washington, although it has repeatedly denied that negotiations are already underway. The island produces only a third of its energy needs, operating from a very disadvantageous position, as it has been mired in a deep economic crisis for six years, with high contraction and inflation, shortages of basic goods (food, medicine, fuel), prolonged daily blackouts, and massive migration.
In similar past situations—such as during the "Special Period" in the 90s or in recent bottlenecks—airlines have solved the problem by adjusting their routes with extra stops to refuel in Mexico or the Dominican Republic.
Most flights connecting the island to the outside world cover routes to Florida (Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale), Spain (Madrid), Panama (Panama City), and Mexico (Mexico City, Mérida, Cancún), although Cuba also has regular connections to Bogotá (Colombia), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), and Caracas (Venezuela).
