Cuba Cuts Airport Hours, No Jet Fuel Until 1 November

TRAVEL · CUBA

Cuba jet fuel remains unavailable to airlines at ten airports, including Havana’s José Martí International, until 1 November, official aviation notices show. Five of those airports are also running shortened daily hours, and a new schedule for Holguín was issued on Sunday 11 October. For US travellers, it means flights from Florida keep operating only by carrying their own fuel for the trip home.

The notices to airmen, known as NOTAMs, are the official warnings pilots and airlines must check before flying. Each of the ten carries the same line: “JET A1 FUEL NOT AVBL”, meaning jet fuel is not available.

They were filed by the Empresa Cubana de Navegación Aérea (ECNA), the state company that runs Cuban air navigation, CiberCuba reported on Sunday. The Rio Times checked the texts in a public NOTAM database that reproduces the US Federal Aviation Administration feed.

What the Notices Say

The current fuel notices, numbered A3459 to A3468/26, took effect at 00:31 UTC on 30 September, the evening of 29 September in Cuba, and run until 04:00 UTC on 1 November. That is midnight in Cuba, which keeps the same clock as Miami until the first Sunday of November.

They replaced an earlier series, A3054 to A3063/26, that was due to expire on 1 October. The airports covered are Havana, Varadero, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, Manzanillo and Cayo Largo.

Separate notices cut opening hours. Holguín, the gateway to the beach resorts of Guardalavaca, will open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and weekends. It stays open until midnight on Thursdays and until 9 p.m. on Fridays.

Cienfuegos, on the south coast, opens only from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Saturday, under a notice issued on Saturday 10 October. Camagüey closes at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Santiago de Cuba, the second city, opens round the clock only on Thursdays.

Three smaller airports, Cayo Coco, Manzanillo and Cayo Largo, now provide service only when requested 24 hours in advance. None of the notices gives a reason for the reduced hours.

Eight Months of Extensions

The shortage began in February, when Cuba first declared jet fuel unavailable at nine international airports from 10 February to 11 March, CiberCuba reported. The notices have been renewed ever since, and Cayo Largo joined the list in September.

Univision linked the shortfall to US sanctions on countries that supply Cuba with oil. Washington’s pressure on fuel shipments has also included seizures at sea. Univision reported that the US Coast Guard, with help from Mexico, seized the vessel Grace in the Caribbean in September with illicit fuel bound for Cuba.

Airlines reacted quickly. Air Canada suspended its Cuba flights on 9 February and sent aircraft to bring home about 3,000 customers, according to CiberCuba and Cuba en Miami. Iberia later halted its direct Madrid to Havana route and has extended that suspension to 30 June 2027.

Others adapted rather than quit. Air Europa added refuelling stops in Santo Domingo on some Havana flights. Some US carriers kept flying by loading enough fuel at home to avoid buying any in Cuba, Cuba en Miami reported.

The Rio Times reported the first shortage in February in Cuba Runs Out of Aviation Fuel and Warns Airlines It Cannot Refuel a Single Plane for a Month. The aviation squeeze sits alongside power cuts covered in Cuba Grid Splits in East as 1,680 MW Shortfall Looms.

What It Means for You

A fuel notice does not close an airport or cancel flights. It only means planes cannot fill their tanks there. Short routes from Florida, Mexico or nearby islands can usually carry fuel for both legs, Infobae explained.

Longer flights from Europe or Canada may need a technical stop in a third country. That adds time and cost and can break onward connections.

If you fly to Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Cienfuegos or Santa Clara this month, check the departure time again shortly before travel. Outside the published hours, Cienfuegos and Santa Clara serve flights only on 24 hours’ request. Travellers can read the British view of conditions on the island in Britain Revises Its Cuba Travel Advice: Bring Cash, Expect Blackouts.

The stabiliser is that Havana and Varadero, the two main international gateways, show no reduced-hours notice. Neither does any notice ban flights.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether the Cuba jet fuel notices will be extended again after 1 November. They have been renewed repeatedly since February, and CiberCuba noted that the end date is not a guarantee.

CiberCuba also reported two overnight closures of Havana airport, from 7 p.m. to 2:40 a.m. on Mondays 12 and 19 October. The Rio Times could not find those notices in the public database on Monday morning, so they are not independently confirmed.

Cuban authorities have not explained the shorter hours at the five airports. The notices name no airlines or cancelled flights, and no airline statement on the latest renewal was found.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can planes refuel in Cuba right now?

No. Official notices say Jet A-1 fuel is unavailable at ten Cuban airports, including Havana, until midnight Cuba time on Sunday 1 November.

Are Cuban airports closed?

No. The fuel notices do not close airports. Five airports run shortened daily hours, and Cayo Coco, Manzanillo and Cayo Largo open only on request.

Are flights from Miami to Havana affected?

Short flights from Florida can carry fuel for both legs, so many keep operating. Passengers should still confirm times with their airline before travel.

Sources: NOTAM A3459/26, Havana (NOTAC); Holguín NOTAMs (NOTAC); Cienfuegos NOTAMs (NOTAC); CiberCuba (fuel notices); CiberCuba (Havana closures); Infobae; Periódico Cubano; Cuba en Miami; Univision Miami; Univision (M/V Grace).

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

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