Fuel shortage prompts flight cancellations to Cuba, including from Ottawa

Flights from Ottawa to Cuban airports are being cancelled amid a fuel shortage in the island nation. CTV’s Austin Lee reports.

Air Canada is suspending service to Cuba as the island nation faces a shortage of jet fuel.

“Over the following days, the airline will operate empty flights southbound to pick up approximately 3,000 customers already at destination and return them home,” said Air Canada in a news release.

“Air Canada will continue to monitor the situation to determine an appropriate restart of normal service to Cuba at a future date.”

• LIVE UPDATES: Canadians in Cuba wait for answers as airlines adjust flights

The airline says it will also bring in extra fuel and potentially make technical stops to refuel on the return journey if necessary.

According to Cuban officials, aviation fuel will be unavailable at airports across Cuba beginning on Tuesday.

Air Canada says refunds are available for impacted travellers.

“Air Canada Vacations is now introducing a refund policy, allowing customers who had scheduled departures to Cuba and experienced flight cancellations to automatically receive a full refund in their original form of payment,” read part of the press release.

“There is no need for these customers to contact the Air Canada Vacations’ Contact Centre.”

Other airlines, including WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat, have issued their own advisories and notices to travellers warning them of power outages and fuel shortages.

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In a statement provided to CTV News, Air Transat said Cuban authorities have informed carriers of the temporary fuel disruption.

“Despite this situation, which is beyond our control, we expect to operate our flights as scheduled by implementing contingency measures,” an Air Transat spokesperson told CTV News.

As of Monday afternoon, Air Transat and Sunwing were still flying to and from Cuba, but they are adding flexibility for customers by waiving some cancellation and rescheduling fees.

Both WestJet flights to Cuba from Ottawa scheduled to depart Tuesday, along with seven others from Toronto and Montreal, have been cancelled according to the respective airports’ websites.

For travellers still able to get on a flight to Cuba, some travel insurance specialists say you should not expect abundance.

“You should expect fuel shortages. You should expect potential blackouts. You may expect medication and food shortages,” said Travel Secure Inc. president Martin Firestone.

“They are conserving energy and putting people all in one hotel or certain hotels and closing other ones down. That in itself is scary.”

Cuba relies on Venezuela to meet much of its energy needs.

When the U.S. launched military strikes on that country and captured Nicolás Maduro, oil stopped flowing to Cuba.

Now, the country is facing its worst economic crisis in decades and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on any country sending oil to the island.

Cuban diaspora calls for regime change

For some members of the Cuban diaspora living in Ottawa, they say this latest development does not come as a surprise.

“We understand that you like my country. You like to go there and have a good time. This is not the right time to do that,” said Eugenio Landeiro Reyes, a member of the Cuban Canadians Coalition, who has called Canada home since 2008.

“It has been very, very hard because I know that my country could have been so well off [compared] to what it is today if we didn’t have that dictatorship in my country.”

Landeiro Reyes says the quality of life in Cuba has been on the decline for years and he blames the current communist government.

“This is a moment to stand together against that regime. We need to stop supplying them with money,” he said.

“The money they are receiving from Canadians staying in hotels, that is money that is feeding their police operation, it’s feeding their pockets, but they are not feeding the bellies of kids in the morning. They are not putting medicine in the hospitals.”

Another Cuban man now living in Ottawa echoed Landeiro Reyes’ frustrations.

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Out of fear for his family back home, and concerns he could have his passport revoked, he asked CTV News not to share his name.

“We should have that regime removed. I think we are honestly holding on to that hope for our people there and honestly, I think the smart thing to do is to avoid going to Cuba.” He said.

“It’s very sad because the only thing that’s lit up there is the coast with the resorts, but when you go inside [the country] it’s all dark. They don’t have electricity. They don’t have fuel. Cuba is going to collapse. It’s collapsing already.”