Air Canada said it was suspending service to Cuba from Monday due to a lack of guaranteed fuel supply at airports in the country, where US pressure has created an oil crisis.
Cuba is reeling from a US‑ordered halt in oil shipments from Caracas after American troops captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last month.
President Donald Trump also signed an executive order allowing his country to impose tariffs on countries selling oil to Havana.
Air Canada said in a statement that “aviation fuel will not be commercially available at the island’s airports” as of Tuesday.
“Over the following days, the airline will operate empty flights southbound to pick up approximately 3,000 customers already at destination and return them home,” Canada’s national carrier said in a statement.
Air Canada said most of its customers currently in Cuba travelled to the island as part of a vacation package offered by the airline.
The Cuban government on Friday announced emergency measures to address the island’s energy crisis, including a four‑day work week for state‑owned companies and fuel sale restrictions.
The oil shortages have threatened to plunge Cuba into complete darkness, with power plants struggling to keep the lights on.
Havana accuses Trump of wanting to “strangle” the island’s economy, where power cuts and fuel shortages, already recurrent in recent years, have become even more acute.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz‑Canel said his country was willing to hold talks with the United States, but not under pressure.
bs/des
