Trump’s isolation of Cuba dries up nation’s jet fuel supplies, forcing airlines to adjust

Havana — Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there isn’t enough fuel for airplanes to refuel on the island, the latest step in its moves to ration energy as the Trump administration cuts the Caribbean nation off from its fuel resources.

The government of Cuba published the notices to airlines and pilots on Sunday night, warning that jet fuel wouldn’t be available at nine airports across the island, including José Martí International Airport in Havana, starting Tuesday and continuing until March 11.

Political pressure from President Trump on Latin America has effectively severed Cuba’s access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico.  In late January, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple an island plagued by a deepening energy crisis.

The order would primarily heap pressure on Mexico, where the government has acted as an oil lifeline for Cuba and voiced solidarity with the U.S. adversary, even as President Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to build a strong relationship with Mr. Trump.

There was speculation in January that Mexico would slash oil shipments to Cuba under mounting pressure by Mr. Trump to distance itself from Havana, but on Monday, Sheinbaum said her country would offer more help to Cuba, and called Mr. Trump’s policies unfair.

“There will be more support for Cuba,” she said Monday as more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid was loaded onto Mexican Navy ships to be transported to Cuba. She said Mexico was taking the necessary diplomatic steps to resume oil shipments to Cuba.

“No one can ignore the situation the Cuban people are currently experiencing due to the sanctions being imposed by the United States on any country that sends oil, in a very unfair manner,” Sheinbaum told reporters.

A spokesperson for the foreign ministry in China, which also maintains close ties with Cuba, told reporters Tuesday that Beijing, “firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and opposes foreign interference,” adding that China would ” always provide support and help to the Cuban side to the best of our ability.”

Airlines forced to adjust to a fuel-less Cuba

While the rationing may not disrupt shorter regional flights, it presents a significant challenge for long-haul routes from countries like Russia and Canada — a critical pillar of Cuba’s tourism economy.

On Monday, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to the island, while other airlines announced delays and layovers in the Dominican Republic before flights continued to Havana.

One pilot added that while refueling issues have occurred before, an official announcement of this scale is extraordinary even for an island accustomed to perpetual crisis. The last time such cuts occurred — more than a decade ago — aircraft bound for Europe refueled in Nassau, Bahamas, the pilot recalled. Now, regional airlines could avoid problems by bringing extra fuel, while others could refuel in Cancun, Mexico, or in the Dominican Republic.

Contacted on Monday by CBS News, Delta Air Lines said it was not aware of any issues being caused by the fuel shortages. Southwest Airlines said in a statement that its aircraft flying to Cuba would carry enough fuel to make the next leg of their journeys.

“Due to the current status of aviation fuel in Cuba, Southwest Airlines is requiring aircraft that fly to Havana to carry enough fuel to also fly onto their next destination. The airline currently operates one flight daily to Havana,” a spokesperson for the airline told CBS News on Monday.

“We are closely monitoring the situation,” American Airlines was quoted as saying by the Miami Herald on Monday.    

It remains unclear how long the notice will remain in effect and Cuban officials have made no public comments on the matter.

The fuel shortage deals another blow to a country that relies heavily on tourism, an industry that once generated $3 billion in annual revenue and served as a vital economic lifeline.

Energy crisis impacting Cuba beyond jet fuel

Cuban officials also announced Monday that bank hours have been reduced and cultural events suspended. In Havana, the public bus system has effectively ground to a halt, leaving residents stranded as endemic power outages and grueling fuel lines reach a breaking point.

The energy emergency has forced the suspension of major events like the Havana International Book Fair this weekend and a restructuring of the national baseball season for greater efficiency. Some banks have cut operating hours and fuel distribution companies said they would no longer sell gas in Cuban pesos — and that sales will be made in dollars and limited to about 5 gallons per user.

The latest measures add to others announced Friday, including cuts to bus transportation and limited train departures.

On Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel delivered a two-hour televised address, acknowledging the impact and warning that measures would be taken in the coming days.

U.S. sanctions against Cuba have been in place for more than six decades and have long stunted Cuba’s economy. But they reached new extremes after a U.S. military operation deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Mr. Trump began to take an even more confrontational tone toward Latin America.

For many Cubans, the crisis has translated into power outages lasting up to 10 hours, fuel shortages for vehicles, and a lack of food or medicine that many compare to the severe economic depression in the 1990s known as the Special Period that followed cuts in aid from what was then the Soviet Union.