The unions of Air Europa demand that operations to Cuba be voluntary for their crews, as reported this Tuesday by the specialized media Preferente.
The petition reflects the growing discontent among the workforce in light of the crisis the Island is facing and the pressures from Washington on companies that have business ties with the Cuban regime.
"The uncertainty is at its peak," declared union sources to Preferente, who recall that the other Spanish airlines —Iberia, World2Fly, and Plus Ultra— canceled their routes before the summer and still do not have a return date.
Air Europa is practically the only Spanish airline with direct flights to Cuba, alongside Air China, which operates twice weekly on the Beijing–Madrid–Havana route, although there have been frequent cancellations due to "technical reasons" since the beginning of this month.
The situation contrasts with the airline's management strategy. Its owner, Juan José Hidalgo, has chosen to expand its presence at the destination: from three weekly flights at the beginning of summer, it increased to four in July.
Operating the route is not easy. Due to the shortage of Jet A-1 fuel in Cuba, Air Europa is forced to make a technical refueling stop in the Dominican Republic on all its flights returning to Madrid. This measure, which began in February following the issuance of NOTAM A0356/26 —which warned of the unavailability of fuel at nine Cuban international airports—, is expected to last at least until November 30.
Despite the additional operating costs, the investment has proven profitable. With the withdrawal of its Spanish competitors, Air Europa has monopolized the route and operates with full flights and high fares: tickets from Madrid to Havana are around 1,000 euros in October and would reach about 1,400 euros during the Christmas season. The publication Reportur described the summer of 2026 as a "record" one for the airline in Cuba.
Hidalgo's decision was labeled as "reckless" by competitors, but the occupancy and pricing data suggest that the move has been financially beneficial.
In May, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing extraterritorial sanctions on companies linked to sanctioned Cuban entities, with a deadline in June to sever ties. Iberia suspended its route on June 1 and has extended the suspension until June 30, 2027. At least 11 international airlines have canceled operations with Cuba so far this year, resulting in over 1,700 flights being canceled.
The energy crisis worsens the situation. The deficit in electricity generation on the Island reached a peak of 2,411 MW in August, with power outages exceeding 20 hours daily across all provinces. Ten Cuban airports remain under an official notice of fuel shortage until November 1, turning each operation into an exercise in complex logistics.
Cuban tourism recorded a 64.4% drop in international visitors from January to August 2026, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). In this context of increasing isolation, Air Europa remains the only reliable air bridge between Spain and Cuba, although there is growing internal tension among those who must crew these flights.
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