Sunwing and WestJet suspend Cuba flights indefinitely amid energy crisis

Canadian Cuba travelers are facing an open-ended shutoff instead of a short pause. Sunwing Vacations Group and WestJet said on June 5 that they are suspending all Cuba operations and flights indefinitely until further notice, after first pausing service in February and then extending that break in April through October 10. For booked passengers, the immediate reality is no return date, only refund and rebooking notices.

WestJet said guests with current air-only reservations for this winter will be notified as early as June 21 and given refund and change options. The airline said it made the decision after reviewing the current operating environment in Cuba and described itself as the former leading Canadian airline in Cuba. Sunwing said the suspension covers Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and WestJet Vacations Québec, turning what had been a temporary interruption into an open-ended hole in the Cuba package market.

The broader pressure behind the move is impossible to miss. Canada updated its Cuba travel advisory on June 5 to urge Canadians to avoid non-essential travel because of worsening shortages of fuel, electricity and basic necessities including food, water and medicine, with the warning that those shortages can affect resort services and disrupt ground transportation. Global Affairs Canada had already said on February 25 that Cuba was facing rapidly worsening conditions driven by severe fuel shortages, prolonged blackouts and growing barriers to food and health care.

Air Canada has also pushed its Cuba resumption back until November 1, 2026, meaning three major Canadian carriers are now stepping away on a long timeline. That matters because Canadian airlift has long been central to the island’s winter tourism economy, especially for travelers headed to Cuba’s resort corridors and the tour operators that depend on steady seat capacity.

The numbers underline the strain. Cuba remained Canada’s top source market in 2025 with 754,010 visitors, but another report said Cuba received 328,608 international tourists from January to April 2026, down 55.8 percent from the same period a year earlier. Other reporting has pointed to Cuban airports that could not guarantee jet fuel supplies and to more than 1,700 flight cancellations by at least 11 airlines during the crisis. The Cuba Tourist Board linked the collapse in service to sanctions and oil shortages, while also saying Visa and Mastercard would stop processing transactions in Cuba starting June 6. For Canadian Cuba regulars, the winter return they were counting on has given way to an indefinite freeze.