A deteriorating fuel crisis linked to a United States-driven oil blockade is forcing evacuation efforts and undermining international travel to Cuba, sharply affecting the island’s tourism industry and foreign visitors.
Russian authorities have begun arranging departure flights for roughly 4,000 tourists after Cuban aviation officials warned that jet fuel supplies were nearly exhausted, making regular inbound and outbound services impractical. Two Russian airlines are operating outbound-only flights to repatriate travellers before suspending scheduled routes, with operations paused until the fuel situation improves.
The upheaval follows broader travel disruptions, including Air Canada’s cancellation of all flights to Cuba due to fuel shortages at multiple airports, signalling that constraints on jet fuel are affecting airlines from North America and Europe as well as Russia. Cuban authorities have informed carriers that refuelling will be unavailable at key international airports for weeks, compelling some to reroute via neighbouring islands.
For travellers currently on the island, the crisis has translated into practical challenges. Domestic transport has been hit by fuel rationing and airport refuelling restrictions, and tourists face diminished services and logistical uncertainty as the government prioritises essential energy use for electricity and ground transport.
The fuel shortage stems from intensified U.S. policy actions aimed at cutting off Cuba’s access to oil imports, particularly from Venezuela and Mexico, with consequences rippling through the local economy and travel sector. Airlines relying on regular fuel supplies have adjusted operations or halted departures, leaving foreign visitors in a precarious position.
The evacuation underscores the sensitivity of international travel flows to geopolitical shifts and energy supply shocks. For future trips to Cuba, prospective travellers and tour operators may need to monitor diplomatic negotiations and fuel availability closely, given how swiftly transport links can be disrupted when a popular destination faces an acute crisis.
