Three Canadian airlines have suspended flights to Cuba due to a lack of guaranteed fuel supply. Germany also issued a travel warning.
Airlines start halting flights to Cuba amid US fuel blockade
What to know:
Two more Canadian airlines have suspended their services to Cuba
Germany issued an advisory against all non-essential travel to Cuba
Air Canada said on Monday it couldn’t fly to the island due to a lack of fuel
Fuel stocks on the island are running out as US puts pressure on Cuba’s oil suppliers
Which airlines have suspended services to Cuba?
Two more Canadian airlines, Air Transat and WestJet, announced a halt in flights to Cuba.
Air Transat said it was canceling all flights to Cuba until at least April 30. This follows “the rapid developments of the past few hours and the announcement by Cuban authorities of an anticipated aviation fuel shortage at destination airports,” it said in a statement.
Cuba warned on Sunday that jet fuel will be unavailable at airports across the island beginning 10 February through 11 March.
WestJet announced an “orderly wind-down” of its services, adding it would begin sending empty planes to Cuba stocked with extra fuel to bring customers home.
These latest flight suspensions come after Air Canada said on Monday that it was stopping services to Cuba due to a lack of guaranteed fuel supply.
The airline said it will send empty flights to pick up and fly home about 3,000 customers in Cuba.
Similar crises have prompted carriers to refuel in nearby third countries including Panama, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the United States.
The fuel shortage is a further economic blow to the country that relies heavily on tourism.
Cuban fuel crisis disrupts tourism from CanadaGermany advised on Tuesday against all non-essential travel to Cuba
“Cuba is facing an acute energy crisis, which is also being compounded by widespread dilapidated energy infrastructure,” the German foreign ministry said in the advisory.
The country is facing “significant shortages in energy and fuel supplies, which are affecting all areas of life” including medical care, it said.
“Public transport, street lighting, traffic lights, cash machines, communication and security systems are already severely restricted or may fail,” it said.
Translate This Article
