Cuba Fuel Crisis Deepens With Jet-Fuel Halt and Russian Flight Suspensions

Overview

• Cuba notified carriers that Jet A-1 will be unavailable at Havana’s José Martí International through March 11, forcing long-haul flights to add technical stops or tanker extra fuel.
• Russia’s Rossiya and Nordwind suspended services to Cuba after limited repatriation flights, joining Air Canada and other Canadian carriers, while Air Europa and Iberia introduced refuelling stops.
• Shipping data from Kpler show Cuba’s foreign oil imports fell to zero in January after the U.S. blocked Venezuelan shipments and threatened tariffs on countries supplying the island.
• Havana imposed emergency measures including fuel rationing, a four-day work week, expanded telework, reduced interprovincial transport, shorter school days and selected hotel closures to conserve energy.
• Mexico paused petroleum shipments but sent two navy ships with about 814 tonnes of humanitarian aid, and the Kremlin condemned U.S. “suffocating” tactics as it discussed possible assistance with Cuban authorities.