Cuba runs out of aviation fuel

Disruptions to Cuba’s travel industry began this week after the government notified airlines that it would run out of aviation fuel, part of a crippling energy crisis triggered by the Trump administration’s strict measures, which have largely cut off the communist country's access to foreign oil.

- FRANCES ROBLES

Jose Marti International Airport in Havana

(NYT)

Air Canada announced that, starting Monday, it had suspended its 16 flights per week to four Cuban cities.

WestJet Group, which operates WestJet, Sunwing Vacations, West-Jet Vacations and Vacances WestJet Quebec, said it had begun an “orderly wind down” of its operations in Cuba in order to lessen the strain on local resources.

Both airlines said they would send empty jets to Cuba from Montreal and Toronto to bring back roughly 3,000 Canadians currently visiting the island.

Before the pandemic, at least 1 million Canadians visited Cuba each year, according to the Canada Foreign Ministry.

Canada has been a top source of tourists to Cuba. and the loss of Canadian tourists will be a hard hit to an already struggling industry.

Though Russian airlines said their flights would continue as usual, Interfax, the Russian wire service, said a Rossiya Airlines flight Monday was cancelled, but the empty plane was flown to Cuba to pick up Russian tourists.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, there may currently be between 4,200 and 4,700 tourists travelling on package tours from Russia in Cuba.

MAJOR ECONOMIC BLOW