Cuba Runs Out of Aviation Fuel Due to U.S. Oil Siege

The Cuban government announced this week a tough emergency plan to try to survive without crude oil and derivatives imports, a package of restrictions that included the end of diesel sales, reduced hours for hospitals and state offices, and the closure of some hotels. Several countries had recently warned their citizens about the risks of traveling to Cuba under the current circumstances, due to blackouts and their consequences, and the escalation of tensions with the United States. 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 U.S. oil siege, as EFE was able to confirm with two sources. The official NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) message from Cuban authorities to pilots and air traffic controllers specifies that the kerosene deficit affects all of Cuba's international airports. Cuba is facing this new escalation from the U.S. However, this fact is not new for Cuba. The decision was another turn of the screw in the energy pressure on Cuba that began on January 3, when, following a military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the U.S. announced the end of oil supplies from that South American country to the island. Cuba also has regular connections with Bogotá (Colombia), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), and Caracas (Venezuela), among other Latin American capitals. U.S. 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. The Cuban government has stated it is open to dialogue with Washington, although it has repeatedly denied that they are already immersed in talks. Cuba produces barely a third of its energy needs. The announcement could affect the already battered national tourism sector, which has been mired in a crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic due to U.S. sanctions and the country's economic problems, which are dragging down the quality of the offering and service. For now, the affected airlines—mainly American, Spanish, Panamanian, and Mexican—have not publicly announced how they will handle this situation, which could lead to alterations in routes, frequencies, and schedules, at least in the short term. In similar previous situations—both during the Special Period in the 90s and in temporary bottlenecks in recent months—airlines had solved the problem by readjusting their outbound routes from the island with extra stops to refuel in Mexico or the Dominican Republic. The airports affected are José Martí in Havana (west), Juan Gualberto Gómez in Varadero (west), Jaime González in Cienfuegos (center), Abel Santamaría in Santa Clara (center), Ignacio Agramonte in Camagüey (center), Jardines del Rey in Cayo Coco (center), Frank País in Holguín (east), Antonio Maceo in Santiago de Cuba (east), and Sierra Maestra in Manzanillo (east). Trump then urged Havana to negotiate 'before it's too late.' The validity period of the notification is for one month, from February 10 to March 11. 'JET A1 FUEL NOT AVBL' (A1 aircraft fuel not available), says the NOTAM-coded message as it currently appears in the database of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).