The nine international airports in the country will not have fuel for airplanes for a full month, starting from February 10, according to an official aviation notice (NOTAM) issued this Sunday by José Martí International Airport in Havana.
The NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) A0356/26, classified as international, revealed that there will be no Jet A-1 fuel available from February 10, 2026, at 05:00 UTC, until at least March 11, 2026, at 05:00 UTC, at nine international airport terminals on the island, which means a whole month without guaranteed supply of the standard fuel for commercial aviation.
According to the notification, aircraft would not be able to refuel with Jet A-1 at the international airports of Havana (MUHA), Varadero (MUVR), Cienfuegos (MUCF), Santa Clara (MUSC), Camagüey (MUCM), Cayo Coco (MUCC), Holguín (MUHG), Santiago de Cuba (MUCU), and Manzanillo (MUMZ).
This serious situation forces foreign airlines' planes to fly to Cuba with additional fuel from their points of origin, to make technical stops in other countries to refuel, or, inevitably, to cancel flights.
Any of the options would result in an increase in operating costs and would reduce the possibility of maintaining regular routes to the island, which represents a severe impact on commercial flights - with harmful effects on international tourism - charters, cargo, and business aviation.
The fuel shortage at Cuba's international airports will have a direct impact on important connections with the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. Routes to cities such as Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Madrid, Panama City, Cancun, and Mexico City are facing a scenario of high uncertainty.
So far, no airline has announced the cancellation of its operations, but the NOTAM stated that the issue is no longer a verbal warning from the Cuban government, but rather an operational limitation recognized in international aviation systems.
The alert, which is part of the global aviation alert system used to inform crews and airlines about relevant operational conditions, also warned that at Havana airport, "the landing aids under maintenance: ILS and runway 06 frequencies have temporary limitations," while the RVR system of the runway (visibility measurement) "is not operational, affecting operations in low visibility."
An energy crisis that is worsening in a regional context
The warning that nine international airports in the country will be without fuel for planes for a month comes amid a deep and prolonged energy crisis that is already affecting multiple sectors of daily life in Cuba, from ground transportation to electricity generation, including the supply of fuels at a national level.
In recent days, the lack of supply has become more evident, and authorities have implemented rationing and prioritization measures to maintain essential services.
The shortage of fuel is closely linked to the decrease in the imports of oil and its derivatives, a factor that has left the country with increasingly narrow margins to maintain basic operations. This situation is compounded by internal limitations in energy production and the deterioration of infrastructure, to which the regime has responded with measures to restrict the sale of fuel and its commercialization in dollars.
The crisis has also worsened due to the increasing energy and financial pressure from the United States on Cuba, intensified by sanctions and restrictions that have hindered the shipments of oil and fuel from countries that have traditionally been allies of the island's regime, such as Venezuela and Mexico.
International organizations and media outlets have indicated that these measures have restricted Cuba's access to energy markets and increased import costs, further complicating the government's ability to secure regular supplies.
The lack of fuel for civil aviation—a key sector for connectivity and tourism—adds to a broader picture of energy and economic collapse, which has impacted public transport, industrial production, and essential services. Therefore, the notice of unavailability of Jet A-1 at Cuban airports affects not only airlines and scheduled flights but also highlights the structural and geopolitical limitations the island faces in ensuring the operation of strategic sectors.
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