If you were dreaming of taking a Cuba vacation this spring, you should probably start thinking about another destination.
Air Transat has become the latest Canadian airline to pull the plug on Cuba flights. On Monday evening, the Quebec-based airline announced that it’s cancelling all service to the Caribbean island until April 30 due to a critical fuel shortage.
The Montreal-based carrier joins Air Canada and WestJet in temporarily suspending operations to Cuba, leaving thousands of travellers scrambling as the country’s infrastructure crisis deepens.
What’s happening right now
Cuban authorities warned airlines that aviation fuel supplies would be cut off starting Tuesday, February 10, forcing carriers to make the difficult call to suspend service.
For Air Transat customers still enjoying their beach vacation in Cuba, the company is organizing repatriation flights over the coming days. Aircrafts will carry extra fuel from Canada to ensure safe return trips, and affected travellers will receive details about their new flight times directly via email and the Air Transat mobile app.
If your trip hasn’t started yet and you were scheduled to depart between February 11 and April 30, your reservation will be automatically cancelled and refunded to your original payment method. No action required on your end.
Air Canada and WestJet made similar moves
Earlier on Monday, Air Canada announced it was cancelling flights and deploying empty planes to bring home roughly 3,000 customers currently in Cuba. Most are travelling on Air Canada Vacations packages.
The airline is suspending Cuba service until May 1, though return flights will continue in the short term with additional fuel stops if necessary. Like Air Transat, Air Canada is offering automatic refunds without requiring customers to contact customer service.
WestJet issued a travel advisory covering destinations including Havana, Varadero, Cayo Coco, Holguín, and Santa Clara for travel between February 8 and April 25. The airline is undertaking what it calls a “gradual and orderly cessation” of Cuba operations. Customers who booked directly with WestJet can change destinations without penalty or cancel for a full refund. Those with WestJet Vacations packages can also switch to another destination or request a refund.
Sunwing has confirmed the gradual cancellation of its Cuba flights for the winter season. Travellers returning by February 16 will fly home as planned, while those scheduled to return after February 17 will be contacted with new dates.
The bigger picture
Cuba’s fuel shortage is just one piece of a much larger crisis affecting the entire island. The Canadian government updated its travel advisory twice between February 4 and February 10, warning that even resort vacations are being impacted by severe and worsening shortages.
Power outages are happening across the country, sometimes lasting over 24 hours. While resorts typically run generators during blackouts, there’s not enough fuel to keep them running consistently. That means travellers could find themselves without air conditioning, hot water, or reliable food service.
The government is now warning that resorts can be affected by shortages of food, bottled water, medicine, and fuel. Getting around the island has become “extremely challenging” due to transportation breakdowns, and the advisory notes that “the situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate, disrupting flight availability on short notice.”
What this means for future travel
Air Transat says flights to Cuba may resume as early as May 1, 2026, depending on how the situation evolves. The airline will continue monitoring developments and provide updates as new information becomes available.
For anyone still planning Cuba travel later this spring or summer, the government strongly recommends comprehensive travel insurance that specifically covers trip cancellations and interruptions, bringing extra cash in U.S. dollars or euros, and packing all essential medications and supplies.
Canadians currently in Cuba or planning to travel should register with the government through the Registration of Canadians Abroad service so officials can reach them quickly if conditions worsen. They can also contact the Embassy of Canada to Cuba in Havana or call the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.
