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Air connectivity between Spain and Cuba has entered its most critical phase in years after a series of suspensions that, according to an analysis by Hosteltur, has left Air Europa as the only Spanish airline operating direct flights to the island.
In a matter of weeks, three operators have left the route. Iberia announced on April 13 the temporary suspension of its Madrid–Havana service from June 1 to October 24, 2026, with a possible resumption in November "provided conditions allow it."
Iberia's withdrawal was gradual: three weekly flights in April, two in May, and none starting in June. The airline has left its offices open in Havana and offers its passengers alternatives with a layover in Panama through Copa Airlines.
On May 12, Cubana de Aviación immediately canceled its only weekly route from Madrid to Santiago de Cuba to Havana, which was operated by Plus Ultra under a leasing contract. The Cuban state airline attributed the cancellation to Plus Ultra's withdrawal due to the "risks arising from the U.S. executive order of May 1, 2026," classified as a case of force majeure.
The most recent blow was dealt by World2Fly, which suspended all its flights to Cuba, with the last service operated precisely today, and no clear return date. The airline had already reduced its schedule in March by eliminating one of its two weekly flights. The company will fully refund all tickets already issued for the affected flights.
After these departures, only two relevant direct connections remain between Madrid and Havana. Air Europa operates three weekly outbound flights and three return flights —Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays— with a technical stop for refueling in Santo Domingo on the return trip, a measure implemented since February due to the shortage of Jet A-1 fuel at Cuban airports.
The second direct option, although not Spanish, is Air China, which has been operating two weekly flights on the Beijing–Madrid–Havana route since May 17, with a stop in the Spanish capital.
The backdrop of all these decisions is the energy crisis affecting Cuba. On February 9, Cuban aviation authorities issued an aviation notice alerting that at least nine international airports on the island —including José Martí in Havana— had run out of Jet A-1 fuel. The regime attributed the situation to U.S. oil sanctions, although the shortage is a result of decades of poor economic management by the dictatorship.
In total, at least eleven airlines have suspended or reduced flights to Cuba so far in 2026: Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, Air Transat, LATAM Perú, Magnicharters, Air France, Iberia, Rossiya, Nordwind, and Turkish Airlines, with World2Fly and Cubana de Aviación now joining the list.
The impact on tourism is severe. Cuba received only 298,057 international visitors between January and March 2026, a 48% decrease compared to the same period the previous year. Spanish visitors fell by 40.4%, with only 5,851 arrivals during that quarter.
For the Spanish tourist sector, which manages major hotel chains on the island, the situation is particularly complicated. As Hosteltur warns, "the cancellation of flight routes further undermines the Cuban tourism industry, complicates the operations of Spanish hotel chains in the country, and benefits Caribbean competitors."
If the fuel supply stabilizes, Iberia could resume flights in November. If that does not happen, Cuba will face a summer with fewer seats, more stops, and greater dependence on a few airlines.
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