Ten Cuban Airports Face Jet-A1 Fuel Unavailability Until November 1, 2026

Ten Cuban airports are operating under official notices of Jet-A1 fuel unavailability that run until 04:00 UTC on November 1, 2026, according to the current NOTAM list from the Cuban Air Navigation Company (ECNA), verified on October 11. The active NOTAMs, numbered A3459 to A3468/26, took effect on September 30, 2026, between 00:31 and 00:34 UTC, replacing the previous series A3054 to A3063/26, which had been set to expire on October 1. The notices carry the warning "JET A1 FUEL NOT AVBL" and are published in Cuba's official aeronautical information system. Among the affected airports is José Martí International Airport in Havana (MUHA), covered by NOTAM A3459/26.

The current phase of fuel restrictions began in early February 2026, when authorities issued notices declaring Jet-A1 unavailability at nine international terminals, with the initial restriction running from 05:00 UTC on February 10 to 05:00 UTC on March 11. Extensions followed in March, April, and subsequent months. By September, a tenth airport, Cayo Largo, was added to the list, bringing the total to ten affected airports, and the current notices mark eight months of documented fuel unavailability.

The restriction does not mean the ten airports are closed or that all flights are canceled; it applies specifically to the unavailability of Jet-A1 fuel for refueling aircraft at those facilities. The November 1 end date does not guarantee restoration of supply, as NOTAMs may be replaced, modified, or canceled as the operational situation evolves.

Air Canada announced on February 9 the suspension of its flights to Cuba and organized special operations to repatriate approximately 3,000 passengers stranded on the island. Air Europa initially maintained some flights by making fuel stops in Santo Domingo for routes between Havana and Madrid. A report from April listed eleven airlines that had suspended services to Cuba during the year, including Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Rossiya, and Nordwind, with Iberia suspending its direct Madrid–Havana route.

Some airlines have continued operating by loading sufficient fuel at the departure airport to complete the return journey without refueling in Cuba, a strategy viable for shorter routes such as those to Florida, Mexico, or Caribbean destinations. Long-distance flights may require a technical refueling stop in a third country, increasing operating costs and journey times.

This case shows how a sustained fuel shortage at a national level reshapes airline network decisions over months rather than days: carriers either exit the market, reroute through third-country tech stops, or adopt tankering strategies tied to route distance. The pattern separates operators by range — short-haul routes to Florida, Mexico, or the Caribbean can tanker fuel both ways, while long-haul flights to Europe face added cost and time from technical stops, a structural disadvantage that has already pushed multiple European and Canadian carriers to suspend service entirely.

The repeated NOTAM renewals, each replacing an expiring series rather than closing the restriction, indicate that the supply problem has not been resolved at its source since February. Whether the November 1, 2026 expiry marks an actual return of Jet-A1 supply or simply another rollover depends on ECNA issuing a new notice rather than extending the current one — that distinction is the next concrete signal to track.