The aeronautical notices declaring Jet A-1 fuel unavailable at ten international airports in Cuba expired at 04:00 UTC on October 1, 2026, but the passing of that deadline does not mean that the supply has returned to normal.
The series of NOTAM A3054 to A3063/26, issued by the Cuban Air Navigation Company (ECNA), maintained the warning "JET A1 FUEL NOT AVBL" and set the final date for October 1.
The alerts affected the José Martí Airport in Havana, Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport in Varadero, Jaime González Airport in Cienfuegos, Abel Santamaría Airport in Santa Clara, Ignacio Agramonte Airport in Camagüey, Jardines del Rey Airport in Cayo Coco, Frank País Airport in Holguín, Antonio Maceo Airport in Santiago de Cuba, Sierra Maestra Airport in Manzanillo, and Vilo Acuña Airport in Cayo Largo.
CiberCuba reported on September 17 that the ten airports would remain without availability of Jet A-1 until early October, according to the notices published at that time in the official Cuban system.
Just because a NOTAM has expired doesn't mean the fuel has returned
The main caution when interpreting the date is that a NOTAM is an operational notice for air navigation. Its expiration does not, by itself, certify that the deposits are once again available with fuel.
The notice may expire because the originally communicated period has ended, be replaced by another NOTAM, have changes in the operational situation, or be subject to a subsequent update. To confirm that the supply of Jet A-1 has generally returned to Cuban airports, a confirmation from the aviation authorities or equivalent operational information would be required.
So far, CiberCuba has not located any public announcement from the Cuban authorities confirming the general restoration of supply in the ten terminals.
Additionally, a report from EFE published on October 1st continued to describe a severe aviation fuel crisis in Cuba, which was preventing aircraft from refueling at the island's airports and keeping operations suspended for numerous international airlines.
Some airlines may continue flying without refueling in Cuba
The lack of Jet A-1 does not necessarily mean that an airport is closed.
Some companies may load enough fuel at the departure airport to complete the round trip without refueling in Cuba, a practice known in aviation as additional fuel transportation. Others may make a technical stop in a third country to refuel.
This strategy is much more viable for relatively short flights from Florida, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or other points in the Caribbean than for certain long-distance connections from Europe or Canada.
EFE reported on October 1 that a limited number of airlines were still operating to Cuba using these kinds of solutions, while major companies had suspended their routes due to the crisis.
A restriction that had been extended for months
The series that ended on October 1 was not the beginning of the crisis. Notices A3054–A3063 replaced previous NOTAMs and were part of a series of extensions that dates back to early 2026.
In February, CiberCuba reported that nine international airports had run out of fuel for aircraft. Subsequently, new extensions were added, and Cayo Largo was included in the affected group.
The prolongation of the problem forced international airlines to suspend, reduce, or reorganize their operations to the island, adding yet another difficulty to the already deteriorating Cuban tourism sector.
What does the official system currently say?
The primary source for verifying these restrictions remains the NOTAM system of the Cuban Air Navigation Company, which publishes current notices for the flight information region of Cuba.
The previous notices have now reached the expiration date specified in their own texts. However, the public interface of ECNA dynamically loads the current NOTAMs, and at the time of closing this information, CiberCuba was unable to independently verify through that interface whether there is a new equivalent series that extends the unavailability of Jet A-1.
What can be established is that there is not enough documentary evidence to interpret the mere expiration of the previous notices as a recovery of the supply.
The question now is when the supply will actually normalize
For travelers and airlines, the crucial detail is not that October 1 has come and gone, but whether each airport is effectively stocked with fuel in sufficient quantities to ensure regular operations.
Until ECNA, the airport authorities, or the airlines themselves confirm that normalization, the situation should still be regarded as uncertain.
The difference is important: the NOTAMs documenting the restriction have expired, but that does not mean that the aviation fuel crisis in Cuba has ended.
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