The tourism industry in Cuba faces a severe setback after airlines from Canada and Russia suspended flights to the island because of fuel shortages at its airports. 

The decision deepens the country’s economic crisis and strikes at one of its main sources of foreign currency.

Air Canada, along with Air Transat and WestJet, halted operations to Cuba after authorities confirmed that no commercial aviation fuel is currently available at Cuban airports. Reports indicate that the shortage will continue at least until March 11.

Air Canada announced it will repatriate approximately 3,000 Canadian travelers currently on the island and suspend its 16 weekly flights connecting Toronto and Montreal with four Cuban destinations.

At the same time, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed that Russian airlines will evacuate tourists and cancel scheduled routes to Cuba. Russian visitors represented the second-largest group of tourists to the island in 2024, behind Canadians..

The fuel shortage reflects a broader energy crisis. Cuba, under a U.S. trade embargo since 1962, has endured years of economic hardship marked by blackouts and shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.

The situation worsened after oil shipments from Venezuela stopped. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing tariffs on countries that supply fuel to Cuba, increasing pressure on potential exporters.

Official figures highlight the scale of the downturn. Cuba welcomed 1.8 million visitors in 2025, the lowest figure in two decades outside the pandemic years, marking an 18% decline compared with 2024. In 2018, the island attracted 4.6 million tourists.

Tourism generated $917 million in revenue in 2025, below the government’s $1.2 billion target. As the services sector accounts for roughly 70% of GDP, flight suspensions from Canada and Russia threaten to intensify economic contraction and further restrict foreign currency inflows.