A Cuban commercial pilot showcased on social media how the official notice regarding the lack of fuel at airports in Cuba appears in the aircraft navigation system, amid the growing debate sparked on digital platforms about the supply crisis on the Island.
The video, posted on TikTok by the Cuban pilot identified as Adrián (@pilot_adrleo), answers questions from several people who asked whether it was true that there is no fuel available for aircraft in Cuba or if it was just a rumor.
"I have several messages from different people asking me: 'Adrián, is it true that there's no fuel in Cuba? Is it a lie? What's going on with that?'" the pilot commented at the beginning of the video, where he explains that he decided to verify the information directly in the system used by the crews.
During the recording, Adrián shows the iPad that pilots use to review aeronautical charts, flight plans, and operational information for airports. In the NOTAM section—official notices directed at aviators—there is a message that reads: "Fuel not available."
According to the on-screen announcement, the notice is applicable to José Martí International Airport in Havana, effective from February 10 at 12:00 a.m. until March 11.
The pilot assures that the same notice appears at other airports in the country. As an example, he points to Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport in Varadero and Ignacio Agramonte Airport in Camagüey, where it is also indicated that fuel is unavailable during the same period.
"The NOTAM is real; it is at all airports in Cuba," he stated.
The pilot explained that this situation forces airlines to change their planning. “If we have to fly to Cuba, we need to carry fuel for the outbound journey and fuel for the return trip,” he detailed.
In other cases, companies are adjusting their routes to include technical stops at nearby airports outside the Island, where aircraft can refuel before continuing to their final destination. From Europe, some flights are making stopovers in third countries to refuel before returning.
Likewise, several airlines have begun to cancel or modify their operations to Cuba due to the inability to ensure supply at the destination. In the case of Canada, flights to the Island have been canceled in this context, according to reports circulated on networks and specialized forums in the aviation sector.
The operational notice once again highlights the difficulties the country is facing, which are also evident in strategic sectors such as transportation and energy, while the debate about the true extent of the situation continues on social media.
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