Cuba’s Aviation Grounded as US Oil Squeeze, Maduro’s Fall Cut Off Fuel Supplies

Segun Atanda/

Cuba is confronting a severe energy and diplomatic crisis after the island nation announced it will effectively run out of jet fuel, grounding refuelling at its major airports and forcing international carriers to suspend or reroute services.

The unprecedented cut in aviation fuel supplies is set to last until at least March 11, threatening the island’s vital tourism industry and extending a broader economic collapse that risks deeper geopolitical consequences.

At the centre of the crisis is an intensified United States campaign to choke off petroleum exports to Cuba, tightening decades-old sanctions and leveraging new measures that threaten tariffs on any country that continues to supply fuel to the Caribbean nation.

This effort accelerated after U.S. forces ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026, ending Havana’s primary source of oil and cutting a lifeline that once supplied significant crude and refined products to the island.

The operation marked a dramatic geopolitical shift in the Western Hemisphere and has left Cuba with virtually no external energy inputs.

The result is an acute jet fuel shortage.

Cuban aviation authorities have issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) warning that from Tuesday until at least March 11, jet fuel will not be available at nine airports, including José Martí International Airport in Havana.

Many airlines now have to plan technical stops in neighbouring countries such as the Dominican Republic or Mexico for refuelling.

Air Canada has become the first major carrier to suspend flights in response to the crisis, cancelling services to Cuba and operating “empty” return flights to repatriate around 3,000 stranded travellers.

Carriers from countries including Spain, Russia and China are reviewing their operations, and some are planning to refuel abroad to maintain links.

The impact goes well beyond aviation. The energy squeeze has prompted fuel rationing for road transport, widespread rolling blackouts, curtailed health services, reduced public transport and energy-saving measures across the economy.

Businesses and schools are shortening hours, and parts of the critically important tourism sector have been closed to conserve fuel.

The United Nations has warned this energy crisis could tip into a broader humanitarian emergency.

Havana has condemned U.S. actions as an attempt to “strangle” the Cuban economy, eroding the nation’s capacity to import essentials and maintain basic services.

Cuban officials have indicated a willingness to engage in dialogue with Washington, so long as sovereignty and political independence are respected, but reject any preconditions that include regime change.

The fall of Nicolás Maduro’s government removed not just a long-standing political ally of Cuba, but also its principal source of oil.

Venezuela had been the backbone of Cuba’s energy imports for decades, with shipments accounting for a significant portion of the island’s fuel needs.

With Venezuela’s leadership now replaced under a U.S.-backed transition, and additional pressure on Mexico to curb exports, Cuba’s diplomatic isolation in energy markets has deepened dramatically.

Analysts warn that the combined effect of U.S. pressure, loss of Venezuelan supplies and dwindling foreign exchange earnings from tourism could hasten political and economic instability in Havana.

Regional partners are watching closely, as Latin American governments weigh responses to U.S. policy and Cuba’s deteriorating situation.