Iberia to Suspend Direct Madrid-Cuba Flights as Fuel Crisis Deepens

Iberia’s pullback from Havana is the clearest signal yet that Cuba’s fuel crisis has moved beyond blackouts and into international air travel. The airline will keep three weekly Madrid-Havana flights in April, cut to two weekly in May, and suspend direct service in June, with a possible return in November if conditions improve.

The Spain-Cuba route has already become more complicated and more expensive to operate. Iberia has been making technical stops in Santo Domingo on the return leg to Madrid, and the airline said recent conditions on the island had greatly impacted demand. It is keeping its Havana office open and offering alternate routings through Panama under its codeshare with Copa Airlines, but the direct link that many travelers and families rely on is being pared back fast.

The timing tracks Cuba’s aviation fuel emergency. On February 9, the island issued a NOTAM saying Jet A-1 fuel would be unavailable at nine international airports from February 10 at 05:00 UTC through at least March 11 at 05:00 UTC. The shortage covered Havana, Varadero, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey, making clear this was not a Havana-only problem but a nationwide aviation disruption.

Iberia is not alone. Air Canada suspended flights and used some aircraft to repatriate stranded tourists. Air Transat halted Cuba service until at least April 30. Air France paused its Paris-Havana route, and Turkish Airlines also suspended operations. One estimate said the fuel shortage could disrupt nearly 400 weekly flights and about 70,000 scheduled seats, while more than 1,700 flights were canceled over the preceding months.

The deeper problem is the energy collapse feeding the transport crisis. Reuters reported that Venezuela had supplied Cuba with crude and fuel for more than 25 years, but that supply chain has weakened sharply. Reuters also reported that Mexico stopped shipments after a fuel cargo reached Havana in January 2026. On February 25, the U.S. Treasury Department said it would authorize companies seeking licenses to resell Venezuelan oil to Cuba, but Cuba’s ability to pay for that oil remains unclear. The result is a crisis hitting power generation, vehicle fuel, housing fuel and aviation at the same time.

Tourism is taking the hit that airline schedules make unavoidable. ONEI-based reporting said Cuba closed 2025 with hotel occupancy of 18.9%, down from 23.0% in 2024. The same data put international arrivals at 262,496 in January and February 2026, down 112,642 from a year earlier. Major hotel chains including Meliá, Iberostar, NH and Valentín temporarily closed properties.

For anyone still trying to reach the island, the message is blunt: fewer direct seats, more detours, and a Cuba that is getting harder to sell as a dependable destination.