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The fuel shortage in Cuba is raising concerns and expectations among passengers traveling from Spain, in a context marked by blackouts, reduced transportation, and adjustments in air operations to the island.
According to a report by CNN, the scene at Terminal 1 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport on Tuesday displayed travelers with luggage and passports waiting for information, amidst an apparent normality overshadowed by uncertainty regarding the return flights.
Humberto Chamí, a native of Villa Clara, was accompanying a relative who was scheduled to fly to Havana on an afternoon flight.
“No guarantees have been made for our return, and we don't know what we'll do now,” he declared to CNN, explaining that his relative was supposed to return to Spain just 48 hours after arriving in Cuba.
Chamí stated that they are considering purchasing a return ticket with another airline or even canceling the trip, due to the uncertainty regarding fuel availability at Cuban airports and the continuity of operations.
At another point in the airport, Javier Rodríguez, arriving from Toledo, was getting ready to travel to Havana for ten days of vacation.
Unlike other passengers, he stated that he had been informed that the return flight could be delayed by two to three days if problems arose, something he said did not worry him.
Liset Hernández, originally from the province of Granma, was also waiting for her flight to Cuba to take care of personal matters.
"They haven't communicated anything to us, and I understand that nothing is happening," she commented, although she acknowledged that her greatest concern is being able to return to Spain without being stranded on the island.
Unlike airlines such as Air Canada, which suspended flights to Cuba, Spanish companies like Iberia, Air Europa, and W2Fly continue their connections with Havana.
Air Europa, for example, operates six weekly flights, while Iberia has announced that it will conduct the return journeys with a technical stop in Santo Domingo to refuel.
Cuban authorities have indicated that the fuel shortage will be extended, temporarily, until March 11. However, among passengers, there is doubt about how much longer this situation can last amid the energy crisis the country is experiencing.
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